The Runaway Bride
by Ellana-san
Summary: When Effie Trinket runs away in the middle of her own wedding (blame it all on wedding jitters!) and jumps into the car of a stranger with two little girls on the backseat, she doesn't know just how far the hitched ride will take her... (hayffie)
1. The Princess

_The prompt for this one was "afraid to commit" so I tried not to go the usual route ;) _

_It will be 15 chapters and I have to warn you this is nothing but pure silliness, don't expect a convoluted plot ;) Mostly, it's a modern AU featuring hayffie with young children haha. _

_Let me know your thoughts!_

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_**The Runaway Bride**_

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**Chapter 1: The Princess**

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Wedding jitters _were_ a thing.

Wedding jitters were a thing and they would fade as soon as she would reach the end of the aisle and joined her fiancé. Her _very_ _old_ fiancé. But also very wealthy. And approved by her parents.

Well… More like _forced on her _by her parents but _still_.

She had gone into this with eyes wide open and she had chosen to go through with it and now, there she was, walking toward the officiant in the huge – _very expensive _– hotel's wedding hall in front of the finest elite society had to boost.

Effie Trinket wanted to vanish on the spot.

And _that_ had never ever happened to her. She usually soaked up the attention, sought the spotlight, lived for…

Her fiancé's bald head came into view and she swallowed hard. _Wedding jitters_, it was all it was. _Wedding jitters_ but she was only a few steps away now and…

Afterwards, she couldn't explain what had gone through her head.

At that moment, everything in her rebelled at the thought of becoming just another transaction for her father to handle, to see her whole life reduced to becoming the trophy wife her mother wanted her to be…

She wasn't even aware she had turned around and started running until she twisted her ankle as she exited the double doors under the staff's incredulous – and slightly excited to see something like that – stares. She kept on running, pain and stilettos be damned, and emerged into the afternoon sunlight.

The crisp autumn air smelled like freedom – and gas fumes but that was irrelevant.

She had always wanted a _summer_ wedding. An _outside_ wedding. What was she even doing there?

She glanced back in time to see her mother exit the wedding hall in long furious strides, a mask of perfect indifference on her face. But there was murder in her eyes.

She needed to flee and she needed to flee _fast _or she would be married before the end of the afternoon. Her mother had a gift for guilting her into doing things she didn't want to do.

She took the steps two by two, electric throb of pain dashing up her ankle with every new step, and soon jogged down the street, searching for…

There was a car in front of the bank across the street. Two little girls had their faces pressed against the window of the backseat and were staring at her – one with blond braided hair, around six, was obviously very excited, the other with dark hair in the same hairdo was frowning – and on the front seat, behind the wheel, sat a man who was watching her with his eyebrows lifted high.

She accidentally met the man's eyes.

It lasted a second.

Enough for her to make a split decision and rush straight toward them, ignoring the honking and the shouts from the cars as she ran across the road without even checking traffic first. If possible, the man's eyebrows lifted higher when she reached for the passenger door's handle – and _fortunately _it wasn't locked – and climbed inside the car in a puffing cloud of organza and tulle. Her voluminous dress took almost all the space and she had to bat at it – and she was fairly certain the stranger batted at it too – to be able to see again.

"Lady, do you mind!" the man shouted.

"A princess!" the youngest girl was screaming, bouncing on her seat. "Look, Katniss! A real princess!"

It was madness in the car, the children were shouting, the man was protesting her intrusion… Finally, _finally_, she managed to get the dress to settle down enough that she could turn toward the man, joined her hands in front of her chest in a slightly theatric pleading fashion and met his eyes.

"I twisted my ankle and I need a gateway. _Please_." she begged.

The stranger looked angry, perhaps having felt threatened at the unconventional carjacking. His grey gaze darted to the backseat and back to her. "Look…"

"I apologize for imposing like this. I _do_. It is rude and absolutely crazy and I _understand_ but _please_." she insisted, not bothering to blink away the tears in her eyes.

Anger faded quickly into awkwardness on the man's face. He was handsome enough in a rough way. Grey eyes, too long dirty blond hair, stained jeans and a navy blue woolen sweater…

Behind them, there was a gasp as the blond girl pointed at something outside the window. "Look! There's a witch!"

Effie glanced in the direction the little finger was pointing at and wasn't surprised by what she saw.

"It's my mother." she said.

And Elindra was about to cross the street to get her, she looked thunderous. Behind her, on the four stars hotel's doorstep, her father and her fiancé were waiting – they were the same age and it suddenly hit her hard in the chest that none of this was right; it had _never_ feltright to be honest but right then she realized just how _wrong_ it was. If Elindra caught up it was over. Effie knew that if she was dragged back to the hotel, she would let herself be convinced to go through with the ceremony because when she thought about what she had just done… _The scandal_ she had just created…

Wedding jitters. They could blame everything on wedding jitters. Make fun of her silliness and do damage control that way.

Her breath caught as she watched her mother getting closer and closer…

"Uncle Haymitch, do something!" the blond girl demanded. "We can't let the witch get the princess!"

"I'll protect you!" the dark-haired girl declared, more amused than serious, pushing the other child out of the way so she could pretend to shoot arrows with a realistic plastic bow that was almost as tall as she was.

It was all very cute and Effie would have properly thanked them if a lump hadn't been growing in her throat. Elindra was halfway across the street now.

She could either try running away again but given how her ankle was throbbing she doubted she would get far or she could face the music like a grown up woman.

"Uncle Haymitch!" the girls were both shouting now.

The man's grey eyes were going from Effie to the children to the woman who wasn't bothering to hide the murderous intentions on her face now that none of the guests could see them.

"_Fuck_." he sighed and then reached for the keys that were still in the ignition. "Seatbelts on." The girls hurried to obey and Effie, dazed, looked at him without understanding. "You too, _Princess_."

She quickly fastened the seatbelt as well as she could with the voluminous dress in the way. The man eased out of his parking spot just as her mother's hand brushed the car door. She was close enough that Effie could see the glint of pure fury in her eyes.

There would be hell to pay.

Whatever she was going to do next, she would have to do it without her parents' support. There would be no more money. There would be no more…

She buried her face in her hands and forced herself to take slow deep breaths.

What had she done?

_What had she done? _

"It's alright. The witch is gone."

She forced herself to drop her hands and look behind her at the tiny blond girl who was stretching her arm to the limit to pat her shoulder while remaining strapped to her seat.

"Thank you." Effie answered, flashing her a wavering smile. She did make an effort to blink away the tears then, to not frighten the helpful girls, but a few slipped past her guard and rolled down her cheeks. She looked at the man who was staring at the road when he was not glancing at the rearview mirror. "_Thank_ _you_."

He shrugged. "Not every day we get to rescue _a princess_. Don't sweat it." He twisted a little in his seat until he could get his phone out of his pocket and then he tossed it at the dark-haired girl on the backseat. "Sweetheart, call Uncle Chaff and tell him we're gone, yeah?" He made a face and explained for her benefit. "Was waiting for my friend. I can loop back around to the bank but I ain't sure it's worth risking you. The kid ain't wrong, that woman looked _pretty_ witchy."

"She will kill me." She let out a deep breath. "If she catches me, she will kill me."

The man started smirking in amusement but it faded when he realized she wasn't joking. "Okay. No looping back to the bank then." He glanced at the rearview mirror. "Doing okay, Katniss?"

The black-haired girl was scowling at his phone but eventually managed to punch the right combination of keys. Effie decided she was around ten. While she gave their uncle Chaff the "princess rescue" version, Effie smiled at the blond girl who was staring at her with open adoration.

"Are you a real princess?" the little girl asked as if she had just been waiting for the right moment to get that question out of the way.

"I am afraid not." she lamented.

"But you have a princess dress." the girl insisted and then shrugged. "It's okay. We'll keep you anyway."

The man coughed. "We're not keeping her, Prim. She ain't a stray."

"But the witch wanted to hurt her!" the girl – Prim – countered. "We can't leave her alone. You've got to protect her, Uncle Haymitch!"

The child was getting worked up over her so called fate so Effie twisted on her seat so she could outstretch a hand for a very serious handshake. "My name is Effie."

Prim shook her hand, apparently delighted to be treated like a grown up. A glance at the other girl told her _she _would not be so she didn't even try.

"Blond one's Prim. Scowling one is Katniss." the man offered. "I'm Haymitch."

"Okay. Bye." Katniss concluded what had sounded like a complicated conversation on the phone. "Uncle Chaff says he's gonna catch a cab and he wants you to call and explain 'cause he didn't get anything but he says if you found a girl go for it 'cause it's been a while since you've dipped it." She made a face. "What does that mean?"

The girl didn't look like she really wanted to know.

"Nothing." Haymitch quickly dismissed.

Effie blushed and shifted back to face the road, suddenly keenly aware she didn't know the man at all. She had aimed for that car because of the children. The children had made her feel safer about entrusting her life to a stranger.

Who was she kidding?

She would have jumped in his car regardless of the children because she had just been _that _desperate.

"So, Princess…" the man started.

"Effie." she corrected quietly.

"Yeah, with that monstrosity of a dress, you're gonna be _princess _to me." He snorted. "Didn't even know they were still making them like that…"

"You look like a cake." Katniss helpfully pointed out from the backseat.

"You look like a Disney princess!" Prim argued, frowning at her sister. "So pretty!"

The girl actually clapped her hands in delight.

"It's the glitter." Haymitch smirked. "She's in a glittery phase."

"This is not glitter but _sequins_." Effie huffed, smoothing the delicate fabric of the voluminous dress. And then made a face. "It _is_ very eighties, isn't it? My mother chose it. I wanted something more modern but I was forbidden lace and colors. She said I would look like a…" She caught herself at the last moment, glancing at the backseat. "_Tart_."

Haymitch frowned at her as the car stopped for a red light. "She _forbade _you from picking your own wedding dress?"

She suddenly felt exhausted and she slumped against the car seat, no matter how unladylike it was. "It is complicated."

"What about your fiancé?" he insisted.

"She chose him too." she admitted, bypassing the myriad of things he wasn't openly asking. She closed her eyes and clenched her jaw. She wanted to reach for her ankle, try to estimate how swollen it was but the dress was in the way and if she tried to move, she knew it would spilled over his side of the car and disturb his driving.

"_Shitty_ situation." he acknowledged.

"Language." she automatically scolded, making the girls giggle behind her.

He lifted a displeased eyebrow at her but the light turned green and he focused back on the road. "Where can I drop you off?"

"The ER?" she half-joked, wincing.

"The ankle, right?" He frowned. "You said you twisted it." She wordlessly nodded and his frown deepened. "Is it really that bad? You wanna go to the hospital?" She shook her head no, worrying her fingers in her lap. "Alright, where to, then?" he insisted. She could hear the hint of growing frustration in his voice. "You wanna call a friend? You can use my phone."

Katniss handed the phone over and she took it but left it on her lap, unable to think of anyone she wanted to go to right then. She had friends. Friends who had been deemed acceptable by her mother. Friends who were the daughters of her own friends. Friends who would shun her if her mother decided she was _persona non grata_…

She could call Lyssa, she supposed, but her sister would be no help at all. Her sister had always been her mother's favorite and _she_ hadn't run away from _her _wedding.

Haymitch gave her exactly one minute before glancing at her again. "No friends?"

It hurt to admit it.

It hurt to realize she, who had prided herself on being the queen of the bees since kindergarten, didn't have a single true friend to boost.

The lump was back in her throat with a vengeance.

"Where do you live?" he tried again.

She licked her lips. "My parents'."

He did a double take but didn't look _too _surprised. "How old are you?"

It wasn't a gibe or at least she didn't think it was.

"Rude thing to ask a lady." she pointed out and then sighed. "Twenty-nine." She gritted her teeth and answered the unavoidable question before he could ask it. "There were three other engagements before this. I broke them all off. This was… I couldn't refuse anymore. Oh my god, _what did I do_…"

She buried her face in her hands again, panic settling in for good.

Her mother had _warned _her not to screw it up.

She had a reputation now. She was an old maid. Her current fiancé was a catch and she wouldn't get better, not anymore. She was spoiled goods now. Too old to play the debutante, not pretty enough to be the _femme fatale_, too stupid for her mind to be attractive… She _was_ stupid. So stupid. She was…

"Hey." Haymitch said quietly, placing a hand on her leg. He didn't leave it there. It was brief and he didn't even try to cope a feel. _Good man_, Effie decided, _or too repulsed by her stupidity_. "Deep breaths, Princess. You're gonna figure it out. We've got time. I can drive around for a while."

"I… I have nowhere to go." she realized. But it wasn't the stranger and his nieces' responsibility or even their problem. They have already been kind enough to help so much and… She couldn't burden them further. She forced her spine to straighten, jutted her chin up. _Chin up, eyes bright, smile on. _That had always been her motto. "You can drop me anywhere you would like. Perhaps at a Starbucks or…"

Perhaps she really should go to the hospital. It might delay a little the inevitable walk of shame back to her parents.

"Can we take her home?" Prim asked, having followed more of the conversation than Effie had believed she would.

"No, no." she protested, mustering a fragile smile for the child's sake. "You are a _very_ kind girl, darling, but…"

"We should take her home." Katniss decided, cutting her off. "Prim likes princesses. And I bet she can do hair. Can you do hair?"

The little girl held out her thick black braids. Now that Effie was looking closer at them, she could see they were uneven in places, too loose in others… She concluded Haymitch had done it and he was awkward at it.

Effie blinked. "Well, _yes_, but…"

"Do you know princess stories?" Prim added.

"Yes." she answered. "_But_…"

"Can you sing?" Katniss cut her off again, sounding interested.

"What's this?" Haymitch scoffed. "A job interview? Kids, we can't just decide to _keep _people."

"We kept Buttercup." Prim pointed out.

"Buttercup's _a cat_." the man argued. "_She_ ain't a cat."

"Lady ain't a cat either." Katniss countered.

"Somehow…" Haymitch chuckled, glancing at Effie as she tried to follow the conversation, bewildered. "I don't think your new friend's gonna like you comparing her to a goat."

"We kept the geese." Prim insisted, her lips pursing into a small petulant pout.

Effie could tell the little girl wasn't used to pouting at all or to being petulant or to throwing tantrums just at the puzzled way her sister and her uncle were now looking at her.

It also raised the question of _where_ exactly they lived to be able to have that many farm animals.

"They're _animals_, sweetheart." Haymitch explained quietly. "Effie here is a _person_. You can't decide to adopt a person."

"Why not?" Katniss sneered. "You adopted _us_."

Haymitch, as it turned out, had no good retort to that.

He opened his mouth once, twice and then rolled his eyes. "Son of a _bitch_."

"Language." Effie snapped again and then quickly pursed her lips tight because really, who was she to tell him how to talk in front of children given how much she had already imposed? She cleared her throat and turned to look at the girls. "You uncle is right. It does not work that way."

"Why?" Prim frowned. "You don't like us?"

"Of course, I like you." she replied without thinking. "But…"

"Buttercup is crazy but Lady and the geese ain't so bad." Katniss cut her off again. "You'd like it at home. And there's no witch. Well… There's Peeta's mom but…"

"You should really stop interrupting adults, darling." she chided, making sure to soften her tone. "It is _rude_."

"We _do_ have a guest room." Haymitch muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "If you need it."

She looked at him in surprise, opened her mouth to protest and then closed it again because… What were her other options?

"I could be a psychopath for all you know." she remarked.

He made a face but his tone was mocking. "You look more like a damsel in distress to me. A damsel in a _very_ ugly dress."

"And they say chivalry is dead." she deadpanned.

He shot her an amused look. "Can't keep driving in circles, sweetheart. So what it's gonna be?"

"Please, please, _please_…" Prim pleaded from the backseat, looking so earnest with her big blue eyes that Effie had troubles focusing.

"Don't mind her, she likes collecting strays." Haymitch mumbled, low enough that it wouldn't carry to the kids. "If you ain't comfortable, I can drop you at a hotel. Can lend you a few bucks too. Don't imagine you have pockets in that thing."

She studied him for a while, completely flabbergasted that a stranger would be _that _kind to her. She lived in a world where friends backstabbed friends and gossip was aimed at wounding people.

"I wouldn't want to impose." she hesitated. "And you already did so much for me…"

Clearly embarrassed, he shrugged. "It's fine."

It wasn't but…

She took a deep breath. "I would not mind… I mean, if the offer is genuine and if you are sure it would not be an imposition…"

There was a victorious ruckus from the backseat that, despite everything, made her laugh. She noticed Haymitch's eyes lingered on her because of that laugh and she ducked her head, a coy smile on her lips because… Well, she enjoyed the attention.

"It _ain't _forever." he warned the girls firmly.

"You said that for Buttercup." Katniss reminded him.

"And Lady." Prim chuckled.

"And the geese." the other girl added.

He rolled his eyes but smirked at Effie. "I _did _say that. Be careful or you might end up staying forever. They're convincing little _shits_."

The girls giggled at that but Effie pursed her lips, narrowed her eyes and tilted her head at him. "You should _truly _mind your language in front of the children."

"Never mind princesses, now she thinks she's Mary Poppins…" he commented, making the girls giggle even more.

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_I almost ended it here originally but then it grew... It grew so much it became 15 chapters XD I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! Let me know your thoughts! You know I live for feedback!_


	2. The House In The Woods

_**Chapter 2: The House In The Woods**_

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Haymitch kept making ridiculous jokes – that often turned out to be teasing remarks aimed at Effie – and the girl remained so cheerful that Effie found it impossible to let the gloom settle over her. She found herself answering his gibes with some of her own, noting the surprised but interested glint in his eyes every time she managed to get the last word.

The car eventually left the blunt of the city behind and wandered in the country side. She would usually have been worried about being whisked away to an isolated place, where she could have been sequestered and killed without anyone being the wiser, but Prim and Katniss kept talking all the drive, telling her all about their house.

"It's not that far from the city." Haymitch told her when he saw her glancing at the lone dusty road with some uncertainty. "Just enough to get privacy. An hour drive or so." He winked at her. "Don't worry, princess. I've never needed to kidnap women, they usually come willingly enough."

She blushed, mostly because she could believe _that_.

"My name is _Effie_." she reminded him.

"Whatever you say, _princess_." he mocked.

She pursed her lips at him, more amused than angry.

They started passing houses, not long after that. The lone ones, first, and then they drove through a little town that couldn't have had more than a hundred inhabitants... It was quaint but she refrained from saying so from fear of being rude. Haymitch parked the car next to a small square but when she reached for her seatbelt, he placed a hand on her wrist to stop her. His skin was warm, his palm calloused. His hand was gone before she could decide if she liked it or not.

"Need to stop at the bakery." he explained. He glanced at the backseat where the girls had finally stopped chatting. Prim was nodding off, clearly tired by the eventful afternoon and the car trip. Katniss was fiddling with her plastic bow. He visibly hesitated, studied her for a moment and then let his shoulders relax. "You mind keeping an eye on the kids?"

"Of course not." she immediately agreed.

He nodded at her once and then opened his door… The moment the car door was opened, a rocket barged out of the bakery and straight into his legs. He automatically reached out to steady what Effie now saw was not a rocket at all but a _darling_ little boy around Katniss' age with a bright smile, blue eyes, and a tuff of blond hair.

"Katniss!" the boy excitedly shouted, bypassing Haymitch to climb on the driver seat. He sat on his knees, hugging the headrest to better see in the backseat. "Hi!"

Katniss immediately thrust her bow out at him. "Look what Uncle Chaff got me!"

"So cool!" Peeta immediately commented – and Effie got the impression he would have approved of _anything_ the girl said or did regardless of his own opinion – before finally noticing the huge white dress and the woman sitting next to him. He gaped at her a little before remembering his manners and snapping his jaw shut, suddenly looking a little shy. "Hello. Sorry, I didn't see you. I'm Peeta."

"Perfectly understandable." She smiled, she _couldn't_ help it. He was _too_ cute. "Nice to meet you, Peeta. My name is Effie."

He stared at her _hard_. "You're very pretty…"

She chuckled. "Thank you."

Katniss didn't like that, it seemed. She kicked the driver seat, bringing Peeta's attention back to her.

"Effie's gonna live with us now." the girl explained. "I'm gonna protect her from a witch."

Prim sleepily approved, her eyelids barely lifting.

"Well, that's a plot twist." Haymitch snorted. His elbow was propped on the car roof and had bowed to follow the discussion inside the car. "Didn't paint _you_ for a knight in shining armor, sweetheart."

Peeta was studying Effie again though, his eyes lingering on the white puffy dress, obviously drawing his own conclusions… He turned back to Haymitch with a small frown. "Did you get married?"

Haymitch sputtered in shock. "_No_."

"Oh." Peeta's frown deepened. "But the pretty lady's in a wedding dress and Katniss says she's going to live with you."

Haymitch opened and closed his mouth, glanced around the square and seemed to notice that the few people who were around appeared to be _very_ interested by what was going on and he made a face.

Effie tried to slump a little down her seat but there was no hiding the vast amount of tulle and organza. It puffed around her and spilled against the passenger window.

"Should have dropped you at home first." he muttered and then gently poked the boy in the shoulder. "You tell everyone who comes to the bakery for gossip that she's just a friend with an awful fashion sense, got it?"

Effie huffed at that but Peeta seriously nodded and then gave him a military salute, giggling all the while. "Yes, sir!"

Haymitch shook his head, his lips stretching into a sad smile, but he still ran an affectionate hand in the boy's hair. "Don't do that, kiddo." He glanced at Effie. "I'll be right back. Try not to fuel the gossip mill."

That was easier said than done.

She could spot a clutter of old women at the corner of the square who were talking very fast and staring at the car – and at _her_ in particular.

Effie loved to spread gossip, she didn't like to _be_ gossip however, so she very cheerfully waved at the old women. The gaggle startled at the sudden attention and quickly turned away. One of them looked amused though and waved back.

"That's Greasy Sae." Peeta helpfully explained. "She's got the only restaurant in town. Mom tells everyone she puts rats in her soup but Haymitch says it's _bullshit_."

"_Language_." Effie immediately clucked her tongue.

"She says that _a lot_." Katniss remarked from the backseat for Peeta's benefit.

"Beautiful children like the two of you should not be vulgar." Effie huffed. "It is a _fact_." Katniss looked dubious so Effie pursed her lips. "You wouldn't want to give a bad example to your sister, would you?"

_That_ seemed to do the trick. Katniss tossed the younger girl a worried look.

Peeta looked properly chastised and was now looking at her a little warily.

"She's nice." Katniss says suddenly. "I _think_. She's not a witch like your mom."

"Katniss!" Effie gasped, shocked that the little girl would insult the boy's mother in front of him.

Peeta didn't look insulted though. If anything, he nodded knowingly and then dropped back on his butt to point at Sae. Effie quickly nudged his hand down before they could be spotted pointing at people. First it was rude, second it was _hardly _keeping a low profile.

"If Sae likes you, everyone will like you." he pronounced.

"That… _is_ actually useful to know." she decided. She knew how to play the social game. Find the influent people, become friends with them, control the scene. Assuming she would be staying a while. Was she planning to stay a while? Haymitch had offered to host her for a few days and she couldn't really impose longer on a virtual stranger. It was already very generous of him to have offered. And her parents _had _to calm down at some point…

Haymitch was walking back to the car, scowling at the gossiping old women all the while. Peeta scooted out of the seat when he spotted him.

"Can I come play with Katniss after school tomorrow?" the boy asked hopefully.

"Already arranged with your dad." Haymitch grumbled. "I'll pick you both up from school."

Peeta let out a happy whoop and briefly hugged Haymitch's midsection before hurrying back to the bakery. He shook his head, a ghost of a smile on his lips and sat back behind the wheel, passing a paper bag to Katniss who immediately peeked inside.

"Cheese buns!" she exclaimed excitedly, which, in turn, woke Prim up.

"Cheese buns?" the smallest girl asked sleepily.

Effie had never had cheese buns before. It sounded very unrefined and full of calories she didn't need and it probably didn't, at all, fit her diet. But the smell was delicious and it made her stomach audibly gurgle to the point Haymitch shot her an amused look.

"And bread." Haymitch confirmed, still eyeing the gossiping women with a scowl. "Next stop, home. I could eat_ a bear_."

"Bears are too big to eat." Katniss pointed out.

"Bears are nice!" Prim countered, looking slightly upset at the prospect of eating one.

"Bears are very nice until they show up in your backyard and don't wanna go away." Haymitch scoffed.

"Please tell me that is a joke and there has never been and never will be a bear in your backyard." Effie winced, slightly frightened now.

She had never been in a place _that_ rural before.

And it seemed obvious to Haymitch. It also seemed to amuse him to no end.

"Bear, bobcats…" He shrugged. "It's better than alligators."

"Did you know they have alligators in pools in Florida?" Katniss suddenly piped up, a lot more animated. "Finnick's from Florida and once there was an alligator in his pool."

Effie took that in stride and licked her lips. "I will add Florida to the list of places I never want to visit, then."

"But they've got the Orlando theme parks." the girl argued. "Finnick says they're awesome. Prim'd like to go to Disneyland."

If she still had access to unlimited funds, Effie would have paid the two girls' vacation on the spot.

As it was, she was slightly happy that Prim suddenly reached for her shoulder, frantically pointing at a house on the street they were driving by. "That's where our mommy lives."

"Oh?" she said, half-expecting Haymitch to stop the car so he could drop the girls of. From what they had said, she had assumed the children were living with him and now she was facing the prospect of being alone with him and…

"She's special sick so we live with Uncle Haymitch for now." Prim babbled on. "He adopted us."

Haymitch, Effie noticed, sped up a little so the mother's house would be left behind quicker. She wondered if her relief at _not _facing the prospect of being alone with a stranger was as obvious as his relief when they had finally driven past the street.

"Special sick?" she reluctantly repeated. She didn't want to stir bad memories or thoughts…

"It means _depressed_." Katniss grumbled.

"Oh." She didn't know what else to say so she winced. "I'm sorry to hear about your sister."

"Not my sister." Haymitch muttered, low enough that it wouldn't carry behind them.

"Sister-in-law?" she tried.

He shook his head but kept his voice low. "We ain't blood related. They call me uncle 'cause it's easier. It's for Prim mostly."

She took that in stride and then frowned. "I am not quite sure I understand but…"

"Haymitch found us." Katniss supplied, suddenly looking a lot older than her age. It was like a switch had been flicked. There was a haunted look on her face and she had discarded the bow as if the toy was too childish for her when she had been raving about it the whole car drive. "And he kept us. And he's _never_ going away."

"_Damn _right, I'm not." Haymitch answered firmly, glancing at her in the rearview mirror. The two of them shared a long complicated look and then Katniss relaxed, picked the bow back up and went back to chatting with Prim as if nothing had happened, looking and sounding like a child once more.

There was a story there, Effie surmised, but the look Haymitch tossed her warned her not to ask any more questions about it.

It wasn't long before they left the town properly behind and crept along dusty roads again. The kids helpfully pointed out landmarks. _'That's the road to the old mine' _they would say or _'that's Uncle Chaff's house' _or '_Gale lives here'_ and Effie nodded and made the appropriate enthusiastic answers even though she had no clue about half of what they were talking about.

Finally, they reached a slightly rusty iron gate and Haymitch stopped the car so Katniss could bolt out and open it – and close it once they were through. Once that was done, it was a five minutes drive on a narrow dusty lane before the house came into view.

It was small compared to her parents' house but big compared to the houses she had seen on the way there. The yard around it was abandoned. Patches of grass reached as high as the waist, there were weeds and dead thistles… It was a shame in her opinion because with a touch of landscaping the property could have been gorgeous. The house itself was two stories high. It was painted a peeling white that would have contrasted nicely against the grayish blue of the roofs foundations if the paint had been fresh. There was a large wraparound porch equally cluttered with what appeared to be junk and old wicker furniture… The windows weren't _that_ clean either.

Effie's first thought was that it was a shame the house wasn't better kept. In her head, she applied some different layers of paint, imagined a few potted plants here and there, vanished the junk and decided it could have been _pretty _if it had looked a little less neglected.

Katniss was already tinkering with her sister's seatbelt before Haymitch had properly stopped the car in front of a garage with a half-opened door. The latch was visibly broken and had been propped up with various cardboard boxes. She could see that there was more junk inside, too much to park a car. The girls were off, all giggles, as soon as Haymitch had cut off the ignition. He got out of the car and walked around to the trunk, calling for Katniss to come back and help him carry whatever bags they had in there.

Effie hesitantly opened the car door and swung her legs out.

Two things happened simultaneously: her ankle – that had mercifully gone numb at some point during the drive – started throbbing in earnest the moment her foot touched down _and _she spotted the first of the monstrous flock of white and dove grey birds who were rushing straight at the car with flapping wings and… _Teeth? _

She shrieked.

"They're just geese." Haymitch chuckled, clearly finding her reaction hilarious. "Calm down, they won't hurt you."

The geese surrounded him and the girls, honking like crazy birds, and ended up following Prim away when the little girl lured them with weird clucking noises. She was a little concerned about the fate of the child and would probably have followed her instinct, ran after her and snatched her up so she wasn't _so_ close to their awfully pointy teeth if her ankle had cooperated.

It was obvious, however, that her ankle was _not _cooperating.

She hitched the voluminous dress up and glanced down at her feet, sparing a grieving thought for the _Jimmy Choo_ that would forever be ruined by the countryside. Although given how the strap was digging into her swollen skin, the shoes were probably ruined anyway.

By the time Haymitch and Katniss had carried their purchases inside, Effie hadn't tried standing up yet. She startled when the man came back, suddenly crouching in front of her to get a better look.

He let out a long whistle. "Sweetheart, that's _bad_."

She wasn't sure being upgraded from _princess _to sweetheart was a good thing.

"That's a sprain for certain." she commented, somehow detached. The day had been so emotionally taxing that she didn't have it in her to complain about the physical pain. It wasn't the first time she had twisted her ankle either. She would survive. "I will need to ice it."

"You're gonna need to _rest _it." he countered, wincing at the nasty shade of purplish blue. He gently wrapped his hand around her ankle to evaluate the damage. "Might even need a doc to look at it…"

"No, it is alright." She shook her head. "I know what to do. Do not trouble yourself further. I have already imposed enough."

Haymitch dragged his gaze from her injured ankle to her blue eyes impossibly slowly. "You're hurt and you needed help. _I _chose to do it, it ain't _imposing_." They stared at each other for a moment, an odd tension settling between them. She was acutely aware of his warm palm wrapped around her ankle. Then he abruptly looked away, a little embarrassed. "Besides, if I don't have to hear Katniss complain I don't know how to braid hair the right way today, I'll consider us even."

Soft chuckles escaped her and she reached for his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "_Thank_ _you_."

"What for?" He snorted, using the open car door to haul himself up. "For bringing a perfect stranger home with my kids? Seemed like the _safest _thing to do."

She pursed her lips to stop herself from laughing at the obvious joke, took a deep breath and pushed herself up, favoring her good ankle. She immediately bit down on her bottom lip to suppress a small cry though.

"Ain't sure you should be walking on _that_…" he remarked.

"What is the alternative?" she retorted, taking a courageous step toward the house.

He rolled his eyes and reached for her waist. Before she could ask him what he was doing, she felt herself being swung up in the air and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. He strode to the front door without looking at her, hopped the few steps that led to the porch and carried her across the threshold without a moment of hesitation.

"Well." she huffed. She would have appreciated a word of warning. "I _do_ hope none of your neighbors are watching or they will _truly _think you got married today."

His lips stretched into a smirk and he glanced at her as he carried her up the stairs and to a bedroom that was slightly dusty.

"We really _are _doing things out of order, ain't we?" he mocked, placing her down on the bed far more slowly than the action required. His hands lingers a little too, trailing across her back and her legs. "Seems we made it to the bed though… That's my favorite part…"

He winked at her and she felt herself blush a little. She wasn't one to be outsmarted however and she pursed her lips to unsuccessfully fight a smile, tilted her head to the side in a way that immediately made him look down her neck and into the modest cleavage of the dress.

"You could have bought me dinner first." she remarked.

"There are cheese buns waiting downstairs." He shrugged, sitting down next to her on the bed. "That counts as dinner in my book." He reached for her ankle and carefully placed it on his lap. The flirtatious look left his face as he fiddled with the thin strap that held the shoe in place. Her ankle was so swollen it was digging deep and she hissed when he finally managed to free her foot. He tossed the shoe on the floor without any care as if he didn't realize just how expensive they were. "I'm gonna get you some ice. Can you move it?"

She obediently rotated it one way and then the other, clenching her jaw all the while. "I will be fine. If you have something to wrap it, it would heal quicker."

"I'll try to find the first aid kit." he agreed. "I'll get you clothes too. And sheets for the bed, don't think there's any under the comforter. Haven't use this room in ages. Bathroom's across the hall."

He carefully placed her foot back down on the bed and disappeared in the corridor. Effie lowered herself down on her back and stared at the ceiling, telling herself she didn't miss the warmth of his hand on her ankle because she had only met him and it was _stupid_. Even more stupid than what she had _already_ done today at any rate.

"Effie?" a small voice shyly called from the threshold and she lifted her head to find Prim standing there, a stuffed cat under one arm and under the other… Well, it was a _living _cat but not one who looked very nice. He was a buttery sort of color, his nose looked flat and he was missing half an ear.

"I take it this is the famous Buttercup?" she asked, mustering a smile for the girl's sake.

Apparently, it was the right thing to say because Prim's face lit up and she wandered to her bed, placing both cats – fake and living – on her bed before climbing up.

Buttercup didn't look very impressed with Effie and made it known by hissing. It turned to purring the moment Prim grabbed him and pulled him on her lap. The cat looked positively huge next to the small girl.

"You're hurt!" the child gasped when she spotted her ankle.

And before she could try to reassure her that it was nothing, the girl had fled, leaving her with an awfully hostile cat and a stuffed toy.

She tried to stare the cat down.

It didn't work.

Prim soon came running back with her sister in toe, carrying a small red plastic suitcase with a white cross on it that she tossed on the bed before climbing right back up. Katniss remained standing, staring at her injured ankle with clear disgust. While Prim unloaded an impressive amount of medicine-related toys from the suitcase, Katniss fidgeted with the green hairbrush she was carrying.

That one, Effie decided, was single-minded.

"Come here." she invited the girl, taking the hairbrush that was hesitantly offered. She undid Haymitch's awkward work, grumbling about the knots it left behind. She brushed Katniss' long dark hair while Prim very seriously examined her ankle with her plastic stethoscope and then applied imaginary salves and used a fake syringe when she judged it appropriate. Effie answered her questions just as seriously, swearing high and low she already felt better once the last fake injection was done.

Meanwhile she had done Katniss hair in two neat fishtail braids.

"Your turn." she offered Prim. She didn't have to offer twice. Unlike Katniss, though, Prim settled directly on her lap, which threw her for a moment because she didn't have that much experience with young children.

Her braids were less of a disaster than her sister's – but, as Katniss quickly explained, that was due to the fact _she_ was the one doing them and not Haymitch.

During that impromptu hair session, Effie learned three important things: Katniss was ten, Prim had just turned six, the girls had been with Haymitch for almost two years and Buttercup only liked Prim and would hiss and scratch at anyone else.

When Haymitch came back, Katniss was telling her about one time she had tried to pet him and ended up with her hand clawed to within an inch of her life. It didn't sound like a very safe pet to keep around children but Prim obviously loved the cat too much to be parted from him.

"I see Doctor Prim got there before me." he teased. "All better now?"

"A miraculous recovery." she humored the girl who beamed. "Here you go, darling."

Prim patted at her newly braided hair, twisted around and tossed her little arms around her neck. Effie hugged back after a second of surprise.

"Alright." Haymitch said quickly. "Now that you've both got your hair done, you go. Bath and pajamas, you know the drill. Then we'll eat, alright?"

It was a while before the girls actually left, time enough for them to gather Prim's toys. Haymitch had already applied the ice by the time they were gone.

He didn't seem all too pleased suddenly however. The flirtatious look was gone.

"Prim grows attached quickly." he muttered.

"She is a darling girl." she ventured.

"That she is." He nodded. "So… Be careful." Because there would be hell to pay if she broke his girls' hearts. That much was _plain_. There was a beat of heavy silence and then he cleared his throat. "Got you clothes. Might be too big… And the sheets. Can do the bed while you change if you wanna take a shower or whatever…"

He looked so awkward… As if he wasn't exactly used to being around new people and he didn't remember how to act.

She hadn't seen or heard anything about a woman in his life aside for the obviously absent mother, the house was far enough from the town that there didn't seem to be any immediate neighbors… She wondered if he was one of those people who isolated themselves until they forgot how to properly socially interact with anyone.

"Thank you." she answered sincerely. "For _everything_. Really."

The tips of his ears were red but he shrugged. "It's fine."

Getting to the bathroom was a bit of a conundrum but she managed by hopping and leaning against the walls – he did offer to carry her again but he had already witnessed the worst day of her life so she estimated it was enough humiliation for one day without him having to carry her to the shower too. Of course, after having successfully managed to reach the bathroom, she realized she had another problem. Five minutes of fighting with the dress told her there was _no way _she would get out of it by herself.

Which was how she found herself opening the bathroom door and listening for the sounds of someone making a bed in the opposite room, wincing. "Haymitch?"

It took him a moment to appear on the threshold, a frown on his face. "Clothes don't fit?"

"I cannot get out of the dress alone." she admitted.

He blinked, his eyebrows furrowing a little and he tilted his head to the side, his lips stretching into a smirk. "Is that a come-on?"

She rolled her eyes despite how rude it was. "Would I issue a come-on to join me in a shower when I can barely stand on my feet?"

"Well… You wouldn't have to _stand_ if I joined you in the shower, princess…" he taunted and then waved his hand to dismiss that. "Fine, let me see." She turned around, offering him her back. "Don't suppose there's any zipper handy?"

"You have to undo the row of buttons on my spine." she instructed.

She had managed to undo exactly two. They were tiny and slippery and not easy to access.

"We really _are _doing things out of order, princess." he chuckled.

It was a long process and his breathing grew heavy as more and more of her back was revealed. His fingers bumped against her skin from time to time. She wasn't sure but she thought they were shaking a little. His hands certainly weren't as steady as she had expected them to be. But he was warm and big behind her and she felt herself getting lost in the moment.

When he finally reached the last button at the small of her back, his knuckles slowly brushed all the way up her spine in a soft caress, as if he couldn't quite help herself.

"All done." he said, his voice rough.

It would have been so easy to stop holding the dress in place with a hand on her chest… To let it gap loose and flop down to the floor… And in that moment, she _wanted_ to.

There was… _something_ there.

Even if he was a complete stranger.

Or maybe _because _he was a complete stranger.

She had no doubt he wanted it just as much as she did and she wanted to feel better.

He hovered behind her. She heard him swallow and wondered what he would do if she did just _that_. Just dropped the dress. Just…

She wasn't sure what she would have done if the joyful ruckus of the girls leaving their bedroom hadn't burst the bubble. Haymitch muttered something and fled the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

She finished undressing, banishing any thought of that momentary folly out of her mind.

* * *

_Soooo Effie's in the place and sparks are already flying! ;) Did you enjoy the geese and Buttercup's appearances? How about Peeta? Is Prim getting to attached to the "princess"? Will the whole town send good wishes to Haymitch's on his nuptials? Tell me everything! _


	3. A Wish

**Chapter 3: A Wish**

* * *

Her ankle didn't thank her for the long hot shower but Effie felt a lot more human once her hair was free from all the hairspray and she was clean. Haymitch's clothes _didn't _fit her. The blue long-sleeved shirt was far too big and her lack of bra showed – not that she could do anything about that because she couldn't conjure one out of thin air and she _hadn't _been wearing one under her wedding dress – and the sweatpants wouldn't hold at her waist even when she pulled the cord to the maximum. She folded them properly and left them on the side of the sink. The shirt fell to her mid-thighs anyway. She had worn shorter dresses.

She wrapped her ankle as best as she could to keep it still and limped downstairs, tossing curious looks around as she went since she hadn't been able to get a good look at the house on the way in.

The inside was less neglected than the outside. Unlike in the guest room, there was no dust anywhere that she could see. It was obvious an effort was being made to keep it clean enough for the children's sake but it was also obvious at the same time that order wasn't a natural thing to this family. Or perhaps she just didn't know what a lived-in house looked like because her parents' and her friends' had always been kept perfectly neat and spotless. _Soulless_. She would have tidied up a little more but, all in all, the house looked homey. There were toys scattered here and there, children drawings tapped to the walls in random places next to old framed paintings that must have been hanging there forever, books on all available flat surfaces…

She followed the echo of voices down an hallway but paused when she realized what was being said.

"Sweetheart… She won't be staying, you know that, yeah?" Haymitch was saying quickly but quietly – _gently_. "It's fine to be friends with her but you've got to be ready to see her go, alright? Cause I don't want you to be upset when…"

"But her family doesn't sound nice. They don't _want_ her." Prim's soft voice argued. "We can love her _better_."

"Doesn't work like that, little duck." Katniss scoffed. "Though, she _could _stay, right? If she's got nowhere else to go…"

"People like her aren't the same as people like us." he sighed. "She's gonna wake up tomorrow morning and realize she likes being rich better than being stranded here with us, mark my words. Besides… We're _good,_ the three of us… We don't need anyone else."

"But she knows princess stories." Prim retorted.

"I know princess stories too." Haymitch replied, still in this patient voice. "You _love_ my princess stories."

"Yes, but…" the little girl let her voice trail off…

There was a long silence and then Katniss' voice. "But what, little duck?"

Effie wondered how it was that Katniss could go from behaving and sounding like a normal ten years old to acting like someone _that_ collected and much older in a blink of an eye.

"But all my friends have a daddy _and_ a mommy." Prim finally whispered.

"We _have_ a mommy and a daddy." Katniss answered, more firmly.

There was a small frustrated sigh from the youngest child. "But Uncle Haymitch doesn't have a sweetheart…"

"Honey, I've got you and your sister…" Haymitch countered. "I don't need…"

"But the daddy _needs_ a mommy." she insisted and then amended. "Or another daddy. That happens sometimes, I saw on TV."

"Haymitch _ain't_ our daddy, Prim." Katniss snapped suddenly. "Daddy died, remember?"

"Katniss." Haymitch growled, a warning in his voice. "_Easy_."

Katniss must have understood because she softened her voice. "We're fine like we are, little duck. We don't need anyone else."

"But Buttercup _misses_ having a real mommy." Prim argued in a pleading voice.

And Effie developed a sudden lump in her throat. She cleared it and limped into view before she could eavesdrop even more, forcing a bright smile on her lips. She noticed the round kitchen table was set and everything was ready. "Oh, I hope I did not keep you waiting! How rude of me!"

The three of them were gaping at her and she gingerly touched her face, realizing a bit too late that all her make-up was gone and her hair was flowing down in the wild unruly curls she usually never allowed anyone to see. Added to the lack of proper clothes, she probably looked ridiculous.

She cleared her throat again but didn't let her smile waver. "You will have to excuse my look… Not quite fashionable but…"

"You're even prettier now." Prim professed with awe. "Don't you think she looks prettier, Uncle Haymitch?"

Katniss leveled a long complicated look at her sister, rolled her eyes with what appeared to be resignation and pulled back the chair between herself and Haymitch, glancing between the two of them. "You sit here."

The exchange between the girls was lost on Haymitch. He was still gaping and his eyes didn't seem to be able to choose a place to settle. They went from her long bare legs to her chest where his close attention didn't help make the bra-less situation more discrete, then up to her face and back down again.

"Uncle Haymitch, can I have some water, pretty please?" Prim asked.

He blinked himself out of his strange trance. "Yeah. Yeah, sure. _Yeah_."

He coughed a little, stood up, accidentally bumped into his chair, before finally filling a carafe with water at the tap.

Amused, Effie suppressed her smile and sat down, letting Katniss drop a cheese bun on each of their plate.

"You know…" he said, with his back still turned, his tone halfway between a tease and a mock. "I like you better, Effie, without all that crap."

Two could play at the flirting game and Effie didn't bother fighting off her smile this time. "I am glad to see you _are _able to remember my name after all… I was starting to be concerned about your short term memory."

He paused – so briefly it was almost unnoticeable – and then turned around and poured Prim a glass of water before putting the carafe down in easy reach. "Eat your cheese bun."

She wasn't sure if he was talking to her or to the girls but she was famished so she decided it didn't matter. She was used to four stars restaurant and to having an actual _chef _in residence so she didn't expect the cheese bun to be _that _good. When the flavor hit her tongue, it was so good she let out a sound that was almost a _moan_. Everyone was looking at her again. Embarrassed, she winced. "I never tried that before. It is _so_ good."

Haymitch lifted his eyebrows, not quite surprised. The girls however were _scandalized_.

"You _never _had cheese buns?" Katniss gaped. "What did you eat?"

She asked the question as if she suspected Effie had been kept in a cave at the backend of the world instead of in a mansion on Capitol Avenue.

"_Canard à l'orange_?" she answered uncertainly, because it was the first thing that popped into her mind.

"What does that mean?" Prim frowned, patiently waiting for Haymitch to finish cutting her bun into small pieces.

"Fancy way to say duck with orange sauce." Haymitch muttered.

"Oh." Katniss shrugged. "Uncle Haymitch cooks chicken with oranges sometimes. Or olives and tomatoes. It's really good."

Clearly embarrassed by the compliment, Haymitch mumbled something Effie didn't catch.

"I am a helpless cook myself." she volunteered. "But this… This is a _delight_."

A delight that would go straight to her hips but it was so good, so rich and creamy on her tongue, that she didn't even care.

Dinner was lively like she couldn't remember it being in her childhood. By the time she and her sister had been old enough to be allowed to share their parents' meals, propriety had been ingrained into them. They were to be silent unless spoken to. Perfect dolls to be showed off to their friends and not…

Prim and Katniss never hesitated to speak and Haymitch seemed to be encouraging it, or at least he didn't seem to find it improper that children dictated the course of the conversation. There was a clear intent on the girls' part – a very obvious unsubtle one – to somehow trick them into complimenting each other. The attempts at matchmaking were cute if a little unnecessary because sparks flew enough by themselves but Effie was a little wary to give in to the blatant connection because of the conversation she had overheard.

The last thing she wanted to do was upset the children and Prim _did_ seem to get attached quickly. If she decided to try something with Haymitch she already instinctively knew it couldn't be a fling. And she didn't have the best track records with serious relationships.

She enjoyed herself so much during dinner that she was sad when they had polished their plates plus the yoghurts Prim insisted was good for their health – because she had been told at school and, since she wanted to be a doctor, health was a_ serious thing_. The little girl was rubbing her eyes by the end of the meal though and she didn't protest much when Haymitch declared it was time for bed. She gave Effie a big hug and then outstretched her arms so Haymitch could carry her up upstairs.

Feeling a little awkward under Katniss' scrutiny, Effie limped around the kitchen, clearing the table and starting on the dishes. Now… She had _never _done the dishes before but she had watched enough TV that she knew how to do it. _In theory_. She considered it a great personal victory that the girl didn't seem to realize it was her first time doing a chore that seemed so basic.

She was an expert at politely evading the real serious questions – because in polite society a lady _never_ raise controversial subjects – so she kept on a stream of innocent chatter, shifting her weight to her good ankle as much as she could because the bad one was throbbing.

"Are you gonna stay?" Katniss cut her off bluntly after five minutes, studying her with far too much intensity.

Effie was _not_ used to blunt people.

Nevertheless, she abandoned the dishes to turn toward the little girl who had a serious look on her face. She looked far too mature suddenly. Or perhaps _mature _wasn't the right word but… Adult maybe. She looked like an adult trapped in a child's body. There was a look far too old for her ten years on her face.

"Katniss, darling, even if I wanted to… I do not live here." she countered gently. "You were all very kind to take me in for the night but…"

"Haymitch won't care if you stay more than a night." the child interrupted again.

Effie clenched her jaw to stop herself from reminding her _not _to talk over adults.

"Be that as it may…" she sighed. "I _couldn't_ possibly impose more. It's…"

"It ain't imposing if we invite you." Katniss pointed out, tilting her head to better stare at her. "Prim wants a real mom. You look like you could be a real mom."

She opened her mouth and closed it twice, not sure how to address that. _Blunt people_. How did you deal with them? "You have _just_ met me."

"Yeah, but you said to mind our language a lot and you did our hair and Haymitch likes you." Katniss argued. "He doesn't like _anybody_."

Effie noticed that, far from her sister's ears, Katniss had dropped the "uncle" honorific.

"It is more complicated than that." she insisted. "You cannot just… You cannot meet a woman on a street, decide she would be a good mother to you and your sister and just…"

"_I _don't need a mother." the girl petulantly argued.

Effie sighed, dried her hands on the dishtowel and gently nudged Katniss towards the chairs so they could sit down. Her ankle was_ killing_ her. "Listen, dear… Even if this whole idea was not crazy, I wouldn't know the first thing about being a mother."

The girl shrugged. "You care about how we talk, you played with Prim and you did our hair. It's better than what our real mom has bothered to do in years."

Effie winced. "You mother is ill, isn't she? I am sure she is doing her _absolute_ best. That does not mean she does not love the two of you…"

A satisfied smile burst on Katniss' lips. "See? You're even lying about mom to make me feel better. Haymitch does that _all the time_. That means you're gonna be good at it. Prim believes this _shit_."

"_Language_." she hissed before she could think better of it. Katniss beamed as if she had just proved her point. "Dear, you _have _to realize what you're asking is _a tiny bit_ on the _insane_ scale."

The girl crossed her arms in front of her and scowled. "You ran away from your wedding, your mom looked like she wanted to kill you, you've got no friends and nowhere to go." When it was summed up like that, of course… Katniss rolled her eyes before Effie could even _try_ and answer _that_. "Besides, if it's not you it's gonna _have_ to be Hazelle… She's the only other woman who's not a dinosaur that Haymitch likes." The girl made a face. "But she's got five kids already and Prim needs someone to herself."

At that moment Effie realized that unless she ran out the door right then, Katniss _would_ strive her best to make this happen.

"Do you always make sure your sister gets what she wants no matter how ridiculous?" she asked, careful not to sound judgmental.

Katniss didn't even bat an eyelash. "Yes."

Effie contemplated that, shocked and flabbergasted. The idea of her older sister doing the same for her was so ludicrous that she couldn't even begin to fathom it.

The clearing of a throat made them both startle and they turned to see Haymitch leaning against the threshold. He wasn't a small man and Effie didn't know _how _they hadn't heard his approach. Clearly, he could be stealthy when he wanted to be and she wasn't the only one prone to eavesdropping.

"Get upstairs, sweetheart. We're gonna have a serious conversation before bed." he growled. Katniss didn't look the slightest bit afraid. She just shrugged and disappeared down the hall without even a good night. Effie pursed her lips and very purposefully avoided the man's grey eyes. "Don't _fucking_ finish the dishes. Rest that ankle before it gets worse, for _fuck's_ sake."

She narrowed her eyes, tilted her head and finally made eye contact. "You're _awfully_ vulgar."

"And _you_'re awfully proper." he scoffed, as if it was an insult instead of a virtue.

They glared at each other even though Effie wasn't quite sure what _she _had done wrong. She had the feeling if he could have decently kicked her out the door right then, he would have, that he felt threatened by all this sudden talk about her staying and about his girls needing a feminine presence in their lives… There was no question he had heard a lot, if not all, of her conversation with Katniss and that he clearly didn't like it.

She felt bad because he had been so helpful to her… But, on the other hand, she hadn't been the one launching the topic so it was truly unfair that he would be held responsible for it.

"May I borrow your phone?" she asked politely, curbing her tone so it wouldn't sound too aggressive. "Mother may have calmed down by now."

And since he so obviously wanted her gone…

He showed her to the living-room – that was just as much a semi-organized chaos as the rest of the house – and retreated upstairs, his face a scowling mask.

Effie sat down sideway on the couch, with her bad leg stretched in front of her, and glared for a second at her wrapped ankle before finally letting out a long deep sigh and taping her mother's number from memory. She had always been good at remembering numbers, that was part of why she had wanted to become an architect at some point in her youth – an idea that had made her whole family laugh at her as they quickly reminded her that it was a job for smart people and she didn't qualify.

Her stomach churned with dread while she waited for the call to go through, her hands were trembling, her breathing was erratic… Saying that she was terrified of facing the music would be too kind.

It was her fourth engagement but she had at least had the decency to break the three previous ones off _before _they got to the actual wedding day – although she had also dragged them off as long as possible in a pitiful attempt at wasting time in the vain hope she would end up developing feelings for men who were often more than twice her age…

Anyway… There had been precedents.

How surprised could her family that she had gotten cold feet?

Surely, it couldn't be that bad?

Could it?

* * *

_Soooo that's not a request you hear every day... XD What do you think will happen now? Will Effie play mother? Will Elindra take her back? Will Haymitch get over his sulk? Will the girls be good little matchmakers? Let me know your thoughts!_


	4. In Distress

_**Chapter 4: In Distress**_

* * *

The conversation with Elindra Trinket was brief and to the point.

Effie barely managed to get a word in. Her mother hung up on her and she ended up staring at the phone in her hand before bursting into hysterical sobs that had been the whole day in coming.

There had simply been _too much_ stress. She prided herself on being a person who had complete control over herself but everyone had a breaking point and she suspected she had reached hers. Besides, her ankle _throbbed_ and she was _exhausted_ and…

"_Wow_." Haymitch froze when he came back into the living-room. His bad mood seemed to have slightly abated during his chat with Katniss and what was left of it morphed into obvious awkwardness when he saw her. It was clear he didn't know how to handle a crying woman. "Alright… You should… I… Some tea would do you good, yeah?"

He fled the room and Effie pressed her hands against her face, forced herself to take long deep breaths, forced the tears to stop… By the time he came back ten minutes later, looking a little concerned, with two mugs of what she supposed to be tea and an open box of tissues wedged under one arm, she had managed to turn the sobs and hiccups into irregular sniffing.

She accepted the mug and the tissues with a grateful look and immediately dabbed at her face to salvage what she could but knowing she probably looked awful. Her eyes would be red and puffy, her already bare face even uglier…

"Do you have anything stronger?" she half-joked after taking one scalding sip of tea.

Haymitch didn't answer that at once. He paused for a second and then sat down on the coffee table instead of taking any of the more appropriate seats. She supposed it was because the coffee table was the closest to her. He put his own mug down between his feet without looking at her.

"I've got a thing with alcohol." he said slowly, almost hesitantly. "Haven't kept any in the house since I got the kids. Ain't a good idea to tempt a weak man."

She masked her surprise well but her eyes still darted to the slightly unsteady fingers. Was the almost unnoticeable tremors a consequence of past addiction? She was familiar with the symptoms. In the elite, alcoholism was more common that people would suspect – except people's poison was wine or champagne rather than hard liquor and they usually treated it as a joke.

"I very much doubt you are weak." she replied.

"Yeah, well… You don't know me, princess." He snorted with clear self-loathing but he shook his head before she could pursue that line of enquiries. "So… I'm guessing it didn't go well with your mom."

A half-laugh escaped her throat. It managed to sound both hysterical and desperate. "You could say that. She informed me she is packing all my belongings and giving them out to charities first thing in the morning. After today's scandal she does not want to see me or hear about me anymore. She said that if I am stupid enough to spit on a fortune, I can provide for myself and see how I like it." Her hands were trembling so hard, the warm tea was sloshing dangerously close to the rim of the mug. She carefully put it down on the floor, using that as an excuse to _not _look Haymitch in the eyes as she forced some cheer in her voice. "I am a penniless woman without even a single item of clothing to her name. It might be time to take down the drapes and make myself a gown…"

"How southern lady of you." Haymitch mocked. "Ain't sure even Scarlet O'Hara could do much with my curtains though."

She glanced at the brownish shapeless fabric hanging on either side of the big window and wrinkled her nose. "With your curtains, no. With the wedding dress now… Do you have a sewing kit?"

"Think so…" he hesitated. "You know, we can also just get you clothes, right? You're tiny enough, I think Aster's stuff would fit…" At her blank look, he clarified. "The girls' mom."

"Oh, no, I could _not_ trouble you further!" she protested, forcing even more cheer in her voice. "I will be out of your hair tomorrow morning."

"Yeah? To go where? To do what?" he scoffed.

"I will figure it out." she replied with a blinding confident smile.

He stared at her for a moment, plucked his mug from the floor and took a long sip. "You shouldn't be walking around on that ankle."

"It will heal." she dismissed, picking up her own mug. "It is not my first sprain."

But it was the first time she would be forced to find a job and provide for herself. How did one go about finding a job?

She must have been thinking aloud because he let out an incredulous snort. "You've never had a job before? Not _once?_"

She licked her lips and shrugged. "I almost became a model when I was young. A stylist noticed me. Mother would not hear of it, she said I was not beautiful enough to make a career out of it. And I did not have the brain for college or any fancy trade."

She laughed that off but she didn't think she made a good job at hiding the bitterness underneath.

"_Bullshit_." He shook his head. "I've known you a few hours, I can tell you've got plenty of brains. And as for the rest…"

His gaze told her _exactly _what he thought about the rest but she wasn't ready to address _that _just yet.

"Father did not think so and he would not pay for a doomed education." She flashed him a smile, as if it was of no consequence. "Be that as it may… I am sure I will find something or other."

He was studying her. The soft glow of the lamps made the room more intimate than she would have liked. It was hard to pretend when it was so intimate.

"You can sew?" he asked.

Thinking they were going back to the conversation about what she would do about her lack of clothes she relaxed a little, her smile becoming far less strained. "I _love_ it. I used to create clothes for my dolls when I was little… Oh, it was not good naturally, I have very little creative talents…"

"Let me guess… Says your mom?" he deadpanned.

She pursed her lips and went on as if he hadn't interrupted. "I can make _something_ out of that dress though."

There was so much fabric, she might even manage to do two outfits.

"There used to be an old seamstress in town but she died…" he said and, at her frown, he rolled his eyes. "People are old-fashioned around here. Most of them don't go to the city if they can help it. They like local trade better. People they know. People they trust. Ain't sure they would trust you right away but I think there's work in town for a seamstress."

Her frown deepened. "That sounds lovely but… I am going to need a regular income if I am to find an apartment. And…"

And that didn't sound like regular steady work.

"You can stay here until you find something better." He said it fast and without looking at her, as if he was still considering the wisdom of that idea. An idea, she suddenly realized, he had been mulling over since he had come back downstairs. Whatever he and Katniss had talked about, she had convinced him to see her side.

"Haymitch…" The sentence trailed off because she didn't know how to finish it.

"Wouldn't be charity." he added quickly. It hadn't been her first concern, truth be told, but he was obviously a proud man so it made sense he would think of that as her first objection. "You could help out with the girls for rent. Do the hair stuff and handle the boys talks and whatever. Katniss sure does have a lot of boys talk."

She blinked. "She is ten."

And she looked like a tomboy who wasn't particularly interested in romance so far.

"She's got Peeta and Gale running after her." he explained. "And there's Finnick too." He shook his head and made a face. "_Too_ _many_ boys. And she's too naïve about it. She doesn't get it when I try to explain."

"Haymitch, she is _ten_." she insisted, amused despite herself. "I think you can wait three more years before you have to worry about anything untoward happening. Whatever… _relationships_ she has going on are probably perfectly innocent."

He looked a little sick. "Yeah, but you could _make_ _sure_. And I can keep on terrorizing the boys. See? Teamwork."

She bit down on her bottom lip to stop herself from commenting about how little terrorized Peeta had looked earlier.

"I am not certain my staying would be the best idea." she argued. "You said it yourself… Prim gets attached fast. And what she wants…"

"Is a mother." he finished. "Yeah, Katniss explained that in _great _details. And there you went, jumping into my car in a stupid dress and now Prim thinks it's a _fucking_ fairy tale." He sighed and took another long gulp of tea, his hand visibly shaking. "I've always done my best, you know? I _swear_ I did. I knew I'd be _shit_ from the start, that taking them with me was just the best of a lot of bad options for them but… I've _always_ done my best so if they need a mother now… Then I guess I'm getting them a mother." He glanced up at her and quickly lowered his eyes down to his tea. "Ain't saying it's not the craziest _shit_ I've ever asked a stranger and I've done some very crazy _shit_, sweetheart."

It was a lot of things to process.

"Language." she rebuked, a beat too late. "You do realize I _just_ ran away from an arranged marriage, right? And now you want me to jump into another one with you when I do not even _know _you? Do not misunderstand me, you seem like a good man but…"

"I ain't a good man." he cut her off, his voice hard. "_Never_ mistake me for a good man." She flinched at the sudden harshness and he made a face when he noticed. He stood up slowly, clearly taking pain _not _ to look like a threat, and moved to the window to look outside. All she could see was his back. "I ain't _proposing_ either. I ain't exactly an easy man to live with, princess. You're probably gonna run out the door in two days anyway…"

"This is crazy." she reiterated.

"_Fuck_, if I don't know." he grumbled. "You _had _to _fucking _get into _my _car looking like a _fucking_ Disney princess."

She decided there was a compliment in there somewhere. Very deep down.

"The girls could use a female role model. What would _you_ expect from this arrangement?" she asked, making her voice reflecting only polite interest and not any hint of weariness.

He snorted at that and turned his back to the window to look at her. "Ain't some kind of pervert. Ain't saying you've _got_ to sleep with me." There was a twinkle in his grey eyes. "Though I ain't oppose to having sex with you. For the record. You ain't exactly repulsive."

She huffed. "You give the most twisted compliments."

His lips stretched into an amused smirk for a moment but then it vanished. "Look… I ain't saying it has to be forever. You could use a place to stay until you get back on your feet… We try it out. If it works out and you wanna stay longer, that's good. If it doesn't work out and you wanna find another place to stay that's also good. Just… If you want to do this, be sure you're ready to keep in touch any way, alright? Cause they're gonna get attached and…" He shrugged. "They've been hurt enough."

As insane as the whole thing sounded, the thing was _she _had already started getting attached too.

"How did you end up with them?" she asked curiously.

"Long story." he muttered, slowly coming back toward her. He sat down in an armchair instead of the coffee table this time. "How did _you_ end up at that _shitty_ wedding today?"

She pursed her lips. "For the hundredth time, _mind your language." _

Irritation flashed on his face. "It's the kids you've got to mother, not me."

"And yet you clearly need chastising the most." she deadpanned.

Irritation turned to amusement and he lifted an eyebrow. "Kinky."

She rolled her eyes and brought her mug to her lips to give herself some countenance. The tea was tepid by now and she quickly finished it.

"Mother always insisted I marry well and to someone proper." she hesitantly explained. "In the circles I grew up in, it was expected. My first engagement was to the son of a family's friend. He was gay. It could have worked though, even if there was no hope for anything real. We were friendly enough. Mother says I am too much of a romantic and she is right. In the end I couldn't go through with what I knew would be a loveless marriage even if it would have been an amicable one." She clenched her jaws. "The second one was Father's business associate. I couldn't refuse dating him without endangering the family company. When he proposed, I felt compelled to accept for the same reason. It caused a lot of trouble when I eventually broke it off. The third one… The third one actually broke off with me after he figured out I couldn't have children but I shed no tears over him. And the man I left at the altar today…"

"Was _ancient_." he finished for her.

"They were _all_ ancient aside from Seneca." she countered in a whisper. She couldn't hide her shudder. "I _did_ try to be a good daughter and to do what was expected, you know? I just… I just want _more _than being paraded on an old man's arm like an eye candy all my life. Is that so wrong?"

Haymitch looked sorry for her and she realized she didn't want his pity. "No, princess. It ain't wrong at all. You want my opinion, what you did today's the best thing you could have done."

"But it leaves me without a cent to my name." she remarked.

"Better poor and free than rich and a slave." He shrugged. "It was brave running away the way you did. Cause, let me tell you, your family seems like controlling _assholes_ to me. Couldn't have been easy."

She licked her lips and averted her eyes. "So?" She instilled some cheer in her voice. "That's _my_ story. Your turn. How did you end up adopting two little girls you are not related to?"

He was silent for so long, she was certain he would never end up explaining.

"I'm just their guardian, it's not full adoption." he finally said before rubbing his eyes. "I'm not even sure where to start."

"The beginning is usually a good place." she teased.

His lips twitched but the twinkle of mirth she had come to expect didn't dance in his eyes.

"It all started three years ago. I'd just come back to live here." He hesitated, his hand pressed against his right side. "I was…" He was searching for the right words and obviously getting frustrated because they weren't coming. "I wasn't well. Body or head."

His voice trailed off, his eyes lost in the distance or, maybe, bad memories. He was rubbing his side but she didn't think he was aware of the gesture.

"Because of the liquor?" she ventured a guess.

He startled a little, licked his lips… "The liquor was part of it. Always been a problem if I'm honest but at that point… Well, yeah… It was bad. Chaff moved here to keep an eye on me. He had nowhere else to go either anyway… Bought a house nearby… Tried to keep us both from spiraling too much. He's my best friend."

The last part was added as an afterthought, as if he had momentarily forgotten she wouldn't really understand what he meant. Although _Chaff_ had been mentioned several times since she had met the three of them, more often than not with a honorific 'uncle' in front of his name… She had surmised he was a close family friend.

"I do not mean to pry so feel free not to answer but if it was not only the drinking…" she cut in slowly.

"I was army." he said quickly, _harshly_. The roughness wasn't directed at her though, she didn't think. He spat the word out bitterly as if it was poisonous. "I had been wanting out for a long time at that point. Chaff too." He snorted, toasted her with his almost empty mug of tea. "Be careful what you wish for, yeah? Ain't that what they say?"

She had troubles imagining a man like him thriving in a military environment. He wouldn't fit in with the officers in full regalia her mother often entertained at dinner parties. And his house was far from being kept with the meticulousness one would expect for an army man.

"We were special ops, Chaff and I." he added, clenching his jaw. "That means a lot of classified _shit_ shows."

She pursed her lips. "Well, at least now I know where you learned to curse like a sailor."

He snorted again but there was barely a hint of amusement.

"Last op was a _very_ bad op." he explained. "Went to complete utter _hell_. Chaff lost a hand." His eyes suddenly darted to her face, protectiveness written all over it. "He's still sensitive about that so don't go staring when you meet him."

She lifted an eyebrow. "Do you mistake me for a rude person? I am a lady, I do _not _stare."

The smirk came back, small but there. "You _sure_ stare at _me_ a lot, sweetheart…"

"That is because I am _dazzled _by your beauty." she deadpanned. "Or, perhaps, because I cannot believe a man can be _that_ vulgar. Take your pick."

That earned her some chuckles and the return of the twinkle in his grey eyes. That was better, she realized, she liked the twinkle.

"You're _fucking_ witty." he commented.

"Others would call it _mouthy_ and it is not the quality you make it out to be." she sighed. She hugged her legs close to her chest, angling her body and arranging the borrowed shirt so nothing improper could be seen.

He shrugged. "They're idiots, then. _I_ like it."

She had noticed. The banter between them had been slightly flirtatious from the start.

He was so relaxed now, so much more like the man she had met that afternoon, that she didn't want for him to close off again. She didn't remind him of the current topic of discussion. It was clear his army days held no good memories.

"We are playing a dangerous game, you realize." she pointed out. "If I am to stay… We are clearly attracted to each other…"

"Sweetheart, I _specialize_ in dangerous games." he mocked.

"What happens if we act on this attraction?" she insisted.

He snorted. "Oh, we're _gonna_ act on it, princess… I've wanted to kiss you since you jumped into my car…"

She might have been desperate to kiss him too and a confession was clearly unnecessary. She supposed it must have been obvious.

She lowered her voice to something more serious. "I am serious. The girls…"

He lost his playful edge. "I don't know. Haven't dated anyone in decades. I'm more of a one night stand kind of guy."

"Well… I am more of a "get engaged and leave them at the altar" sort of girl so I suppose I cannot judge." she retorted.

He chuckled again. "How about we go with the flow? No dating, no wedding, just… If you choose to stay, we see where it takes us?"

She could see where it would take them from where she was sitting. One of the stops would clearly be a bed but she was afraid the final destination would be _disaster_.

She licked her lips, averted her eyes… "I would rather not you forced yourself to date me just because of your children. Do not get me wrong, they are lovely and I am already half in love with them and your offer is too good to be true, as insane as it is, so I will most likely take you up on it but… There is a great difference between a governess and a step-mother and…"

"Didn't I say I _wasn't_ proposing?" he cut her off. "Look… I ain't the marrying type so you can relax, I promise I won't give you any reason to freak out and leave me at the proverbial altar…" His teasing tone turned slightly mocking. "And I don't think anyone would have to force themselves much to be with you anyway… You're _fucking_ hot."

"Sex is only one aspect of a relationship." she pointed out.

"Can we stop talking about _relationships_?" He made a face. "Can we just… feel it out? I like you. The little of you I've seen. You like me." He tossed her a look. "_So far_. Let's see how you fit in with us… If the girls really like having someone telling them to mind their manners all the _fucking_ time… _Hell_, let's see if you can handle sewing _fucking_ tablecloths and bed sheets for a living…"

She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you being vulgar on purpose now?"

He smirked, proving her point. "Maybe."

She sighed. "You are going to insist on infuriating me, aren't you?"

"I've got a feeling you're gonna drive me mad soon enough too so…" He shrugged. "You're interested?"

He looked a little too eager and the fact that she was even considering the proposition…

She was loathe to damper the comfortable mood but she wanted to know the full story first.

"You were telling me how you got the girls?" she politely reminded him. "You were saying you and your best friend weren't at your best?"

"Yeah…" he slowly muttered after a silence that lasted a beat too long. "Yeah. We were both let off. Medical discharge."

Effie frowned. "Were _you_ thatbadly injured?"

He was rubbing his right side again and, this time, she was almost certain he _really_ wasn't aware of it.

"Yeah." He waved a dismissive hand in the air. "I'm good now. Anyway. When I came back…"

"My apologies. You grew up here, then?" she cut him off.

He looked irritated by her inability to let him tell his own story. "Yeah. Well… Not here in this house. My old house… It burned down. I bought this one when I came back. You're done interrogating me or…"

"Yes, sorry." she winced. "I simply wanted to have all the facts."

He rolled his eyes. "Here are the important facts: I was _fucked_ up in the head, I was drinking too much and I was still in too much _fucking_ pain. I kept to myself back then…"

"Oh, because you are so much of a social butterfly now?" she teased, she couldn't help it.

It seemed important somehow to bring some levity to a story that was so obviously still painful to him, to relieve him a little from that gloomy past.

He glared at her but she thought there was a hint of amusement dancing in his gaze as if he was aware of what she was attempting to do. Or perhaps she was imagining it. She wasn't sure.

"I barely stepped foot out of the house. Chaff and Sae made sure I had food so I wouldn't starve…" He paused. "Sae's…"

"The old lady who owns the only restaurant in town." she finished for him. "She may or may not use rats in her soup."

He blinked, staring at her in disbelief. "You've been here five minutes. How the _fuck_ do you know that?"

She flashed him a mysterious smile. "You always have to know who the important people are, Haymitch. It is the first rule of moving in society."

"Thought it was that rich men were always looking for wives?" he mocked. "Though in your case…"

Not appreciating being reminded of her runaway bride act, she had to resist the childish urge to stick her tongue out at him. "How peculiar for someone like you to be able to quote Jane Austen… I didn't peg you for a fan of romances…"

His face visibly flushed and he finished what was left of his tea. It must have been completely cold by then.

"Had a phase when I read every paperback I could get my hands on." he muttered. "Don't like romance stuff."

"To be sure." she humored him, curling up a little against the armrest so she could prop her head against the back of the couch. Her body was growing heavy.

"Do you wanna hear the story or what?" He scowled. She gestured at him to continue and he rolled his eyes but went on. "Long story short: food started disappearing from the kitchen. Didn't really notice at first… I was drunk most of the time. And when I wasn't… Wasn't really in any headspace to be sure I hadn't dreamt there was a can of beans left in the pantry."

"Someone was stealing food?" she asked, frowning a little.

"Happened all over town." He shook his head. "It took a while for people to notice cause it was always a can here, leftovers there… Little thefts really. Nothing too serious. But theft is theft and people got into an uproar over it… They were half sure the thief'd come for their money next. They started making sure their doors were locked at night, the wealthiest ones got alarms and fancy security _shit_… Chaff got a guard dog… Overkill if you ask me." He shrugged. "I still didn't care so I didn't bother doing any of that."

"You did not care that someone sneaked into your house at night to steal from you?" she repeated, flabbergasted.

"I've been hungry before. They never took much. I had bigger fishse to fry." he dismissed, turning the empty mug in his hands in a distracted fashion. "Chaff's dog almost got the thief one night… Scared her half to death…"

"_Her_?" she repeated and then gasped, putting a hand in front of her mouth in shock. "You _cannot_ mean…"

"Yeah." he half-snort, half-sighed. "He didn't get a good look but he was sure the thief was a kid. Call me what you want but I didn't like the thought of a kid hungry enough to sneak into people's houses at night to steal food…" He shrugged. "I started leaving stuff on the table for her. Food at first, then… I don't know candies, _shit_ kids like… It became kind of… a project." He made a face. "I'm saying it wrong. It's making me sound like…"

"No." she interrupted. "_Don't_. I understand. You wanted to make a child feel better. There is nothing wrong or odd with that."

"_Fucking_ stubborn child." he commented with fondness. "She always only took one or two things, never the whole lot. The rare times she took the candies, I'm pretty sure it was for Prim. She hates the idea of charity, see? Ask Peeta. It took her a whole year to talk to him again… Poor boy used to steal bread for her and never heard the end of it… She _hates _the idea that she owes anything to anyone. She doesn't get that she's still a kid and adults have to _provide _for her… She's… In her head, _she's_ the provider, _she_ takes care of people. She's getting better but she's not there yet. It's _fucked_ up."

Effie was feeling the burning threat of tears. Katniss must have been around eight, then… Perhaps even younger… _Eight_. Far too young for… "What about the mother?"

"Oh, the mother…" Haymitch scoffed with open dislike. Somehow, Effie was certain he would never have let the children hear him talk about her in _that_ tone. "She ain't a bad person, I guess, but… Their dad was a miner… There was a cave-in a few years ago… Lots of dead workers… The mines closed."

"I remember that…" She nodded. "It was all over the news… Their father died in the mine collapse?"

"Yeah. Aster never got over it." he explained. "She used to be a nurse at the local clinic… The only reason they kept her on as long as they did is because it's a small town and people knew her story. They liked her, they felt sorry for her…" He shook his head. "She completely gave up after I got involved. Stopped going to work. Stopped doing anything, really…"

And she thought _her_ mother was bad…

She curled up tighter, feeling so sorry for the girls sleeping upstairs…

"How did you find them out?" she asked. "How did you figure out it was Katniss?"

A slow rare smile blossomed on his lips. "I ambushed her one night. Trapped her in the kitchen. _Fuck_, did she kick me good…" He chuckled at the memory. "My little fighter… She's a survivor that one. As much charm as a dead slug, but a survivor." The smile softened even more. "Took me a good hour to convince her I didn't want to hurt her… I didn't even get a name that night… She didn't want my help. _Stubborn_, you know."

He had so much love for that child… Effie was glad that, however bleak her past had been, at least Katniss now had _this_.

"It went on like that for a while." he continued. "She showed up on some nights. I gave her food. Tried to get her to tell me her name. Could have found out through Sae by then but I wanted her trust, you know?" He sounded unsure and when she nodded her understanding, he cleared his throat and went on. "I was doing better too. I just… It gave me something to focus on. I slowed down on the booze… Good thing too because, one afternoon, Katniss just came hammering on my door in a panic… Never happened in daylight before… Never seen her cry before either, not even when she was frightened…"

"Prim?" she guessed.

"Yeah." he said flatly. "Prim. She told me her sister had swallowed some of her mother's pills, that her mom was out cold from the meds and that she didn't know what to do…"

"_God_." Effie breathed out, feeling nothing but horror. Intellectually, she knew Prim was alright, that _both_ of them were alright, but she still felt the horror of it, some sort of helpless rage…

"Their house… It was a _shit_ hole." His jaw tightened and his hands clenched around the armrests of his armchair. "Dirty. Not safe. Katniss was doing what she could… Not her fault…"

"Of course _not_." Effie growled in anger. "She was a _child_. She should not have had to… This is _outrageous_."

"Prim was three." he answered. "She was a baby. _Shit_, she was _still_ just a baby…"

"Was she alright?" she asked anxiously.

"Yeah. It was just the one pill. More worry than serious harm." He made a visible effort to relax. "I ripped Aster a new one. _Hell_, the doctors at the clinic ripped Aster a new one… It was like she cared but she didn't… I don't know how to explain better." He shook his head. "It took all I had in me to let the girls go back there… Made a point of dropping by _every_ _day_ after that. Brought food and stuff so Katniss would stop sneaking around at night… Hired someone to do some cleaning too because… Well, Prim was walking around and putting everything in her mouth and it wasn't safe."

"Did Aster accept that?" she wondered.

"She was wary of me at first, I guess…" He shrugged. "Didn't blame her. I was asking myself what the _fuck_ I was doing sticking my nose in her business most of the time… Chaff sort of got involved too at that point. The whole town knew… It's a good town here, you know, good people… We look out for each other…"

"But it did not get better…" she supposed. Or he wouldn't have been the girls' guardian now…

"It did." he denied. "For a while. Aster _tried, _that's the thing. She still does from time to time. She remembers she's got children and she will come up here and take them to the cinema or to the old carousel but… It's never regular and it's always more upsetting than it's worth for the kids."

"You allow it, though?" she asked, curiously.

He shrugged. "She's their mom. And I guess I'm still hoping one day she's gonna wake up and realize she's got the two best girl on the planet and it's worth busting her ass out of her depression. They sure were enough for me…" He stood up and walked to the window again. "I tried to get her to seek treatment, you know… She went to a clinic for a while but she didn't stick to it."

"How did they end up with you?" she wanted to know.

"One morning two years ago I came downstairs and found Katniss on the couch with Prim on her lap…" he recalled, his voice hard. "She handed me an envelope full of legal paperwork… All sorted out already… Just needed my signature. Sometimes I think I gave her the last excuse she needed to quit. She knew I'd never leave the girls to hang, that I'd keep them safe, so… She just gave them to me"

"I see." Effie whispered. She rubbed her eyes as much to make the tears disappear as because she was tired. "This is… Honestly, this is _awful_ to hear."

"Prim doesn't remember much from before." he added.

"Small mercies." she huffed. "But Katniss…"

"Katniss is a process." he granted. "One minute she's gonna act like a regular kid, the next it's like you're talking to an adult."

"I noticed." she remarked.

He hesitated a long moment and then sighed."She goes to see a head doctor in the city one time a week. Ain't sure how much it helps though."

It could not hurt, she supposed.

He had turned to lean against the window, his arms crossed in front of him and he was studying her. He studied her for a long time.

"So…" he said eventually, with far too much amusement. "If I carry you to bed again, do I get to stay this time?"

She frowned. "What?"

She would usually have been more vocal in her indignation but she had been slipping down the couch and little and…

"You're falling asleep in the middle of our very depressing chat, Princess." he mocked. "Ain't that all kind of rude or something?"

It was.

Terribly rude.

_Terribly_.

And yet her eyelids were drooping and she was drifting.

The only sound she managed to utter in answer was a low _hum_.

* * *

_That was a loooooong chapter! So... Is there any chance of Effie convincing Elindra to take her back? Will she do the crazy thing and stay with Haymitch and the girls instead? What did you think of their respective backstory? Let me know your thoughts! _


	5. The Magic Dress

**Chapter 5: A Magic Dress**

* * *

She woke up a little before dawn, neatly tucked in a bed that was entirely unfamiliar. Disoriented and still groggy from sleep, she turned on the light and looked around the bedroom, panicking a little before the memories of the previous day finally sank in. She flopped down on her back and sighed, staring at the circular glow of the lamp on the ceiling.

Too much had happened the previous day. Entirely too much.

She wasn't surprised she had dropped asleep right where she had been sitting. She supposed Haymitch must have carried her to bed after all.

It was early yet. _Far_ too early to be up and about in a foreign house like she would have done at her parents'. And there was no maid to ring for a breakfast tray or even just coffee…

She sat up anyway, knowing she would be too keyed up to go back to sleep, and slipped her legs from under the covers to check on her ankle. The swelling had gone down a little. Satisfied, she unwrapped it only to wrap it tighter and then sat cross-legged, glaring at the huge shape of the wedding dress tossed over a chair in the corner.

Then she noticed the small zipped pouch on the nightstand. She found needles, unpractical scissors and plain white thread inside. The sewing kit she had asked for.

Well, then… No time like the present.

It was hard work, made harder still by the lack of proper scissors. She didn't mind the task though. She liked sewing. It would have been better if she had had some paper and a pen to sketch a pattern first but she had her ideas well in her head – fast and practical would have to do. She hummed a little as she worked away the hours to a reasonable time to be up, pausing only to watch the sun rise over the line of Haymitch's property. It was a beautiful sight despite the overgrown backyard.

When she heard the house getting alive a couple of hours later, she was ready.

She hadn't meant to make an entrance but Haymitch and the children were already in the kitchen by the time she joined them, still limping and hopping a little to spare her ankle.

Like the previous night, they all stopped what they were doing – taking a hurried breakfast still in pajamas, apparently – to stare at her. The girls were gaping. Haymitch was staring.

"Good morning!" she chirped cheerfully, stealing the mug Haymitch was holding since he had obviously _just_ finished pouring himself a cup of fresh coffee. He lifted his eyebrows at her and she winked. Any protest he would have mustered at the theft vanished from his face and he wordlessly reached for another mug in the cupboard.

At least, she mused, even if she was penniless and homeless, she clearly still had game.

"You're magic…" Prim whispered with awe.

Haymitch snorted.

Katniss was more pragmatic. "How did you _do_ that from that other ugly dress?"

Effie turned a little so they could have a better look at what now appeared to be a white cocktail dress far too chic to be worn at breakfast. She had taken out the puffy sleeves and only kept the bodice part of the dress intact. She had also stripped it down from its multiple layers of tulle and organza, using some of that fabric to add a shorter flowy chiffon skirt to the bodice. It wasn't a masterpiece but it would do for now.

"Do you like it?" She pouted a little. "I couldn't _quite_ perfect the seams. It would have been easier with a sewing machine…"

"There's an old one in the garage." Haymitch offered hesitantly. "There's lot of _shit_ in the garage… House came with everything in it so I shoved what I didn't want in there… There might even be clothes and shoes in those boxes…"

"Yeah, for _old ladies_." Katniss mocked. "Why don't we ask mom? They're about the same size."

Effie wasn't keen on borrowing clothes from a woman who had given up the two darling girls as if they were friends. She had _very_ little intentions of becoming friends with Aster. "I might take you up on the shoes if you think they would fit… I should not put the heels back on right away."

"Are you staying?" Prim asked, her bright blue eyes were imposingly wide – and hopeful.

She searched Haymitch's gaze first and glanced at Katniss to make sure no objection would come from that quarter and then she smiled. She didn't even have to force herself. "For now, yes."

Prim let out a joyful shout that made both Katniss and Haymitch smile indulgently. Effie herself couldn't quite bite down her smile even as she sat down and took a sip of her stolen coffee. She made a face. Far too sweet. It was drown in milk. She liked her coffee strong and bitter to give her a kick.

Prim had grabbed a passing Buttercup and was now holding him against her chest, all lost in her happiness.

"Darling, cats do not belong on the breakfast table." she remarked without even thinking about it.

The girl put the cat back down, her smile still bright, and leaned toward Katniss to exchange a private whisper that wasn't _that _private. "I told you she was a real magic princess."

Effie chuckled and Haymitch shook his head but there was a smile floating on his lips too. Breakfast turned out to be a disorganized affair that was interrupted by the entrance of a large black man with a missing hand. The infamous Chaff, she supposed.

The man was welcomed with cheers from Prim and some enthusiasm from Katniss. Haymitch didn't bother standing up, simply dropping his chin in a lazy nod as a greeting. Chaff's dark eyes fell on Effie immediately and his eyebrows shot up.

"Effie Trinket." she offered when it became obvious nobody would make the introductions. She outstretched a hand that he shook over the table, dragging a spare chair from the corner of the kitchen and wedging it between Katniss and Prim. He also poured himself a mug of coffee like he was at home so she deduced he was probably used to coming and going from the house as he pleased.

"Trinket?" Haymitch snorted. "Why am I not surprised you've got a ridiculous last name?"

She pursed her lips, narrowed her eyes and tilted her head at him in warning. The teasing was all well and good but there was a little too much of it for her tastes so early in the morning.

"We never _did_ make it to last names, did we?" she deadpanned.

There was an incredulous cough from Chaff. The man was glancing between them as if he didn't know if he ought to be delighted or plain wary.

Effie surmised he had never found an unknown woman at his friend's breakfast table before.

"Mind filling me in, buddy?" Chaff asked, laughter in his voice. "Cause… Didn't really understand what the kid told me yesterday."

He ruffled Katniss' hair, which seemed to annoy the girl _a lot_ – Effie could relate. Even at the girl's age she would have _murdered _anyone who had dared mess with her hair.

"Sure." Haymitch nodded but before he explained anything, he winked at her. "It's Abernathy, by the way."

"And Everdeen." Katniss added firmly.

"Yeah." Haymitch smirked. "Abernathy and the Everdeens. Keep saying we should make a rock band or something."

"Katniss could sing." Prim said.

"I'm _not_ singing." the girl retorted. "Finish your cereals, we need to get you dressed for school."

It was on the top of Effie's tongue to remind Katniss she was not the parent there but since Haymitch didn't comment, she kept her peace. Instead, she listened to Haymitch recounting what sounded like a crazy tale of a woman in a wedding dress high jacking a stranger's car.

"Quite the story." Chaff commented when Haymitch was done making it sound as embarrassing as he could. She actually had to glare and correct him a few times because she had _not _dramatically limped all the way to his car and she had _not _almost gotten run over by a truck while rushing across the street and straight into his arms. "Thought I'd drop the girls to school today…" He sought Haymitch's eyes who simply nodded his agreement and then turned back toward Effie. "You need a ride back into the city? I've got to head back there anyway so it ain't out of my way and it will spare you a long bus ride."

"They need you again?" Haymitch asked, clearly curious. "You went there _yesterday_."

"You know Coin." He shrugged. "She's pissed you won't take her up on her offer so I'm the next best thing."

Effie tried not to look too curious but she must have failed because Katniss leaned in to explain. "Coin's Uncle Haymitch's old boss from the army. He _hates_ her. She's got a security firm or something. Uncle Chaff's a consultant but she wanted Uncle Haymitch to work for her 'cause he's the best."

"That's one way to sum it up." Chaff snorted. "So? You want a ride?"

Effie flashed him a polite smile. "Thank you but I will be staying here for a while."

The man frowned, the fingers he had been drumming on the rim of his mug abruptly stilling. "Define_ a while._"

"Effie's a magic princess." Prim explained casually as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "She's going to fall in love with Uncle Haymitch and become our new mommy."

"Time for school." Haymitch cut in swiftly. "Girls, go get dressed or you're gonna be late…"

Once the girls had scampered away, Effie shot to her own feet, an excuse already on her lips, and she would have made her own escape if Haymitch's hand hadn't shot out and grabbed her wrist. It wasn't a tight grip and she could have broken it at any time but his thumb ran up and down the inside of her wrist once in a very discreet plea so she chose to sit back down.

"The sex was _that_ good?" Chaff scoffed, partly amused and partly…

Effie wasn't sure, she didn't know him enough to say.

It didn't stop her from huffing. "How _rude_. And _offending_. I will have you know I am a lady and…"

"Nothing happened. It ain't like that." Haymitch cut her off, with some amusement of his own. His hand lingered on her wrist a few seconds longer before he retracted it to grab his mug of coffee.

"Yeah?" Chaff challenged. "What's it like, then? Cause…" His dark eyes passed over her, studying her and dismissing her in the same breath. "No offense but we don't know you. I ain't sure I want you around my kids."

The retort she had been about to let loose died on her lips. Mostly, Chaff seemed concerned for the children and she could respect that.

Haymitch winced. "The girls need a woman in their life, Chaff, and Effie's got nowhere to go."

That simplistic explanation made her huff again. He was making her look so desperate…

Was it _that_ far from the truth though? If she left Haymitch's house today, where would she go? At her sister's, she assumed, because that was the only plan B she had managed to think of. And chances were Lyssa might not be willing to host her. Not for long anyway. And her sister would also probably insist on her mending bridges with their parents which meant that Effie would have to crawl, grovel and beg for forgiveness and mercy.

She was not in any mood to crawl, grovel or beg.

"I've been telling you for years, you need to find someone." Chaff mocked. "I didn't mean to grab the first stranger you could find and play house with her." The man shook his head. "She's hot. Fine. She's hot. So what? Once you've _fucked_ her a few times you're gonna get bored and…"

"Do you mind?" Effie hissed through clenched teeth. "I am sitting _right here_."

"Sorry, love." Chaff deadpanned. "I'm telling it like I see it." He had barely glanced at her, his attention was back on Haymitch. "And they need a woman… _Fine_. Does it have to be the rich runaway bride? Cause that's not a move that inspires immediate trust to me, buddy. How about we look into nannies or au pairs? Pretty sure you can't _fuck_ those but they're also less likely to pick up and leave without notice."

Would she forever be known as the _runaway bride _now? Probably.

Effie rubbed her forehead.

"You mind giving us a second, sweetheart?" Haymitch asked, his face and his tone hard.

She wanted to protest the return of the pet name but decided it wasn't worth the humiliation of having to sit there and listen to a stranger disparaging her for things she already felt guilty for. "Not at all."

She limped out the room with her head high.

"What the _fuck_, buddy?" Chaff exclaimed before she was even properly out of the room.

She didn't approve the vulgarity but she could understand the feeling under it all. This _was_ crazy. She knew it. Haymitch knew it. People were bound to comment on just _how _crazy. Chaff was probably the first one in what would be a really long line.

She dragged herself to the living-room, surveyed the mess of it all and nervously started tidying. She wasn't entirely comfortable moving things in a house that wasn't hers but if she were to stay there… She started small. She folded a plaid that had been left half dangling off the back of the couch, fluffed a few pillows that immediately let out small clouds of dust, piled up the wayward books she found…

She was seriously considering how to tackle the threadbare rug that must have been full of dust and who knew what when Prim came sauntering into the room, happy as you pleased. The girl very naturally held out her arms and Effie picked her up without thinking even though she was starting to get a little too big for that kind of things.

"I'm so happy you're staying." the girl said, squeezing her neck almost too hard to be comfortable.

Effie didn't know how to answer that, not in the least because she suspected Chaff was doing his best to convince his best friend in the next room that she should leave with him back for the city, so she chose the easy way out. "I see you love _My little Pony." _

Prim was wearing leggings covered with various ponies, pink sneakers, and a long-sleeved pink sweater that made Effie regret the lack of proper sleeves on her own outfit. It was a little too cold for repurposed wedding dresses. She resolved to go through the boxes in the garage. The clothes may be for old ladies as Katniss had said but she might also find something a little more weather appropriate. And she could always try and make it a little more fashionable.

"Do you like _My Little Pony?"_ Prim asked, perking up. "Who's your favorite? My favorite's Pinkie Pie."

"My nephews watch it sometimes." she hummed. "I can't say I really know it though."

She got her face under control before she could wince. Lyssandra had two sons and the extent of Effie's interactions with them was limited to those holidays and parties when it was appropriate for children to attend adults gatherings for a little while. She didn't know if Lyssa's methods of education were _entirely _the same as their mother's but she was raising her sons to be members of the _elite_ and that didn't include fun time with their aunt.

The only reason she even knew they liked cartoons was because she had caught them watching them in her parents' living-room when she had come back from a shopping session. Mother probably would not have approved so Effie had closed the door to make sure nobody would bother them for a while.

Even so, her nephews were _nothing_ like the two girls. The boys were polite, well-behaved and, frankly, a little boring.

"It's this one." The girl pointed out at the picture of a _really_ pink pony on her leg.

"Nice choice." Effie approved. "Is pink your favorite color?"

"I like all the colors." Prim shrugged. "What's yours?"

"Pink." She grinned.

"Oh…" The girl suddenly grinned back. "Then pink's my favorite too now. After school I'll show you Lady. She's our goat. You didn't see her yet."

"I cannot wait." she deadpanned a little too flatly. She was not exactly _ecstatic_ with their choices of pets and she could honestly say she would probably _not _be a fan of the goat. Or the geese. Or the psycho cat.

"Can you do my hair?" Katniss asked before she was even properly in the room.

"Of course!" Finally something she was good at. Effie carefully placed Prim down on an armchair, making the girl giggle, and took the hairbrush and hair ties. "What are you in the mood for today?"

"I like braids." the girl offered. "I don't like it when it's in my face."

Effie hummed thoughtfully and then beamed. "How about a crown braid?"

"_Oh_…" Prim gasped. "Like a princess? Can I have one too?"

"Of course. I might need pins, though. Do you have some of those?" she asked. At their blank expressions, she sighed. "I left mine on the dresser in my room? Prim, can you go get them?" By the time the girl came back with the pins, Effie was almost done with her braiding. She pinned down a few wayward strands and smiled at the finished product. "Here you go. Lovely."

Katniss patted her head and then went over to the gold-framed mirror that truly needed a wash. Actually, if they moved the mirror to the other side of the room it would also give the impression the room was bigger and it would be far more practical. She was sure there must be a glare from the window every time the sun shone too brightly. Assuming the sun _ever_ shone in this part of the country…

"I like it." the girl declared without any particular form of enthusiasm.

"My turn?" Prim asked with what could only be described as puppy eyes.

Effie went to work.

That was how the two men found them, with her deftly securing the girl's blond strands into a braided crown around her head.

"Look, Uncle Haymitch!" Prim laughed. "I'm a princess!"

"You certainly are, sweetheart." Haymitch humored her.

Chaff looked a little less amused and there was not a lot of warmth when he looked at Effie. They must have resolved the _runaway bride _question though because he didn't offer her a ride again. "You're ready, kids?"

Effie quickly finished the girl's hairdo, then there were a lot of hugs and kisses and talks about lunch boxes and before she knew it, it was only her and Haymitch in the house.

"Chaff's gonna come around." he said awkwardly. "It ain't against you. He's protective. And this whole idea…"

"Is insane." she finished for him, standing up to walk closer to him. She had never liked having a conversation from opposite sides of a room.

"_That_." Haymitch snorted. "And it ain't really _me_. I ain't really the spontaneous kind. Or the generous one."

"Says the man who took in two little girls because they had nowhere else to go." she whispered, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Yeah, well…" He wasn't at ease with praises, that much was obvious but she was also standing far much closer to him than she had intended and it seemed to distract him from any awkwardness he could be feeling. His eyes retraced the length of her neck, wandered down her collarbone… She watched his Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed hard. His voice turned rough. "Chaff thinks I'd be thinking more clearly if I just _fucked_ you."

So crude…

She wouldn't like that usually.

She _abhorred_ crudeness.

Then why did the words send a thrill down her spine?

Almost unconsciously, she straightened, jutting her chest forward a little, slightly tilting her head to the side…

She should be more afraid than she was. He was still a stranger and they were alone, with her swollen ankle she was at his mercy. The thought was more exciting than scary though.

"And would you?" she challenged.

His grey eyes darted back up, stopped on her lips before meeting her gaze. "Probably."

Again, she felt the compelling urge to shed her clothes and let him do whatever he wanted to her body. Somehow, she knew that it would be more than worth it.

"You _do_ realize it is not in my interest for you to think clearly, then?" she pointed out. "If I let you have me, I will end up homeless…"

She was teasing. Mostly.

She might perhaps also be enjoying the chase.

He snorted. "Can't have that…"

His hand clenched her waist and she wasn't sure at which point he had placed it there or at which point she had stepped even closer, so close there was less than an inch of actual space left between them.

She leaned in even more and he followed the move but she avoided his lips at the last moment to aim for his ear. "Perhaps your friend is wrong though… Perhaps if you have me once, you will find you never want to have another woman again…"

His whole body stiffened.

"Now _that_…" he drawled "… is a scary thought."

She felt the tip of his too long hair sweep the bare skin of her shoulder first and then… His mouth barely brush her neck. _Barely_.

It was still enough to send a jolt of electricity down to her core.

She was smiling when he drew back and, given his smirk, he must have felt the same way. The tension building up between them… When it would release, it would be _exceptional_.

"I'm gonna see if I can find that sewing machine and those boxes of clothes…" he said. "The garage's a mess. Might take me a while. _You_ should rest that ankle."

"It is already better." she argued but did as she was told and sit down on the couch.

Once he left, she grabbed one of the newly dust-free pillow and muffled a very girlish scream into it, feeling both ridiculous and elated. She tossed it back in place, that stupid smile still hanging on her lips, and managed to sit still for exactly ten minutes before she felt guilty for doing nothing when Haymitch and the girls had been so welcoming.

He hadn't lied about it taking a long time because it was nearly lunchtime by the time he came back into the house.

In the meantime, Effie had reordered the meager collection of dvds, rearranged all the books she could find in the house on the shelves by color because it was far more pretty, straightened all the tilted framed paintings, gathered everything that clearly wasn't in its proper place and endeavored to find where that proper place was… She had found a sad-looking grey feather duster and had done her best to clean everything she could with mild results and she was in the process of figuring out how to make the vacuum cleaner work – a first for her certainly – when she heard a man clearing his throat.

"You know…" he commented in that mocking tone of his. "As much as I dig the sexy maid fantasy… If I wanted a housekeeper, I'd just hire one. Pretty sure they'd know how to make that work too."

She glared from where she was sitting on the floor, inspecting the old – and heavy – vacuum cleaner. "Do not make fun of me."

"Wouldn't dream of it." he lied, his eyes dancing with mirth. "I'm serious though. You don't have to do that…" Finally, he seemed to look around the living-room and realize she had been busy. His gaze lingered on the rainbow shelves she was particularly proud of. She was sure the girls would love it – well, Prim at least. He almost choked. "What did my poor books do to you?"

"They were everywhere _but _on the shelves." she remarked. "Now they are in their proper place and you will find them a lot more easily."

"In _this_ _mess_?" he scoffed, making a beeline for the closest shelf and running his hand on the spines as if the books were living things that needed comforting. "Look..."

It was almost a growl and she cut off what she already knew would be a rant. "You live with two young children, it is important the house is kept clean and tidy."

"It _is _clean and tidy." he snapped defensively. And in bad faith, in her opinion. She didn't say anything, she just stared at him, lips pursed, eyebrows lifted, until he rolled his eyes. "Fine. Maybe I ain't _that _obsessed with housework…"

"You do _not_ say." she deadpanned, outstretching a hand so he could help her up.

He pulled her to her feet, careful of her ankle, and bringing her back into his space. She had to steady herself by placing her free hand on his chest. He was still in his pajamas, she noticed, or at least she supposed they were pajamas since he was wearing white cotton pants stripped with red and white and a thin long-sleeved grey shirt not unlike the one he had lent her the night before.

The chest wasn't as firm as she had expected but it was not soft by any mean either. And it was warm through the fabric.

"Smart ass." he accused.

She didn't bat an eyelash. "Always."

He was already smirking but it deepened. "Is that a promise?"

She licked her lips, dug her front teeth in her bottom lip for a second…

He audibly _groaned_.

She chuckled and stepped away from him before she lost control and simply kissed him.

"You play dirty." he protested.

"Wouldn't you like to know." she purred.

She was pushing it. The way he was looking at her…

"I'm gonna go have a shower, get dressed… That sort of stuff." he declared, a little abruptly, averting his eyes.

"Will it be a cold one?" she asked innocently.

He shot her a wounded look. "It's not nice to kick a man when he's down, you know… And there I was gonna offer to take you out for lunch…"

"Oh, a date…" she hummed. "Were you hoping to get lucky afterwards?"

He shook his head, unable to hold out his own chuckles. "You're impossible."

She didn't bother trying to fight her grin. "I have a feeling you like it."

"What can I say, I'm a masochist." he deadpanned. She decided he didn't mean that literally though. There was _no way_ a man like him wasn't dominant in bed. "I found some boxes of clothes, I left them on the kitchen table if you want to sort through them… The sewing machine's gonna need some tinkering. I took a look but I'm gonna need parts if you want me to fix it… We can look into that in town after lunch." His eyes glanced down at her bare feet. "If the ankle's alright…"

"It will live." she assured him.

"But will _I_?" he asked dramatically, a hand on his chest, walking backwards toward the door.

She shook her head, the smile clinging to her lips and let him scamper up the stairs toward his cold shower.

* * *

_Chaff is NOT sold on this arrangement XD Soo What did you think? Who's your favorite little pony? Do you think they will make it to lunch? Will Chaff come around? Let me know!_


	6. Food For Thoughts

**Chapter 6: Food For Thoughts**

* * *

There were three big boxes on the kitchen table and a sewing machine so old it was probably an _antique_. She looked at it dubiously, noting the rust and the tainted plastic, but decided that if Haymitch thought he could fix it, he probably could.

Sorting through the clothes didn't take her that long. First because they smelt like old mothballs and it made her hold her breath, then because there wasn't much to save in there. She put aside what she would definitely _not _wear, thinking she could always use the fabric for… _something_, and was left with a few pairs of socks, a very scrapped pair of low heels ankle boots that spoke of a period with corsets and petticoats that could potentially be considered vintage with some imagination, a long red skirt that she would probably shorten and a white blouse with far too many frills at the collar that would go well with the skirt once she had worked some magic on it…

Haymitch's footsteps weren't exactly light so she was ready for him when he walked in the kitchen. But not ready enough. _Damn_ but that man was handsome. She really wasn't one for the scruffy type usually but he made it work. The faded blue jeans stained at the knees, the grey sweater, the three-days stubble he still had to shave…

"You're ready to go?" he asked, holding out a black woolen jacket to her. "Bit cold for your wedding dress."

She hesitantly grabbed the jacket, thinking that it wouldn't be too bad paired with the scratched gleaming boots, but… Now that she saw how attractive he looked – and without any effort on his part, she was sure… "Are you quite certain you want to go out with me?"

He frowned. "Ain't _really_ a date… You can relax. Like I said, I need stuff from town."

"No." she dismissed, waving her hand. "It is just…"

She licked her lips, suddenly very aware of how she looked. Caught in the whirlwind that were Prim and Katniss, caught in the flirting with Haymitch's and under Chaff's scrutiny, she had forgotten. There were no mirrors in the kitchen but she didn't need one. She didn't even need the faint reflection on the window's pane. She could see herself perfectly well in her mind eye: a woman in a butchered wedding dress with no make-up on and wild hair she hadn't really bothered to tame into something proper that morning.

Haymitch's frown deepened. "What's going on in that crazy brain of yours?"

"I resent being call _crazy_." she huffed. "I will accept _unhinged_. At most."

He snorted at her joke but stepped closer anyway, placing a hand on her hers to still them. She hadn't been aware she was torturing his borrowed woolen jacket. "What's up?"

"I am not exactly fit to be seen in public." she confessed with a wince. "I would not want you to be embarrassed, that is all."

His eyebrows shot up. "What do you mean?"

She pursed her lips and tilted her head a little, waving at herself. "I look terrible."

He was speechless for a second and then he laughed. It was short and a little rough, as if it wasn't something he did often, and when he was done, he shook his head and looked at her as if she _really _was crazy. "Well, if that's you looking terrible, I'm a bit scared of what you're gonna look like when you think you look good…"

She pursed her lips harder. "What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

He rolled his eyes and leaned in to whisper in her ear as if it was the most important secret. "It means you're gorgeous, princess."

Her eyelids fluttered a few times and by the time she was done blinking like an idiot, he had drawn back, that irritating smirk on his lips.

"Liar." she accused.

He shrugged. "I don't lie." He looked her up and down and then averted his eyes, a shadow falling on his face. "If one of us's gonna be embarrassed, it ain't gonna be me."

He was being sincere, she realized. It was not the first time a man had called her gorgeous, of course, but it was usually either an observation or a placating off-hand compliment. The man she had left at the altar just the previous day had used that particular one as a way to remind her she wasn't supposed to _talk _when he was chatting business – she was supposed to be an ornament on his arm and nothing more. Haymitch sounded genuine, not just paying her a compliment to get what he wanted but…

More moved than she wanted to admit, she cleared her throat and slipped on the woolen jacket. "Let's have lunch, then."

It wasn't that easy.

The boots were old and dirty and she had to clean them – and they were not at all comfortable, she could have made do any other day but the sprain made it hard not to wince every two steps, her limp was far more noticeable and Haymitch watched her with concern all the way to the car.

She had a feeling he didn't usually bother using the car for a trip to town, too, that it was a concession to her.

"Maybe we should look into getting you crutches…" he suggested.

"I will be fine." she promised through clenched teeth, securing her seat belt. "What we _truly _need to buy is underwear."

She said it in a off-hand way but he froze just as he was about to start the engine, his grey eyes darting to her lap. He didn't ask. He didn't ask but she could practically hear the wheels and cogs turning in his brain and she leaned back on her seat with a very smug grin. He was close to grinning too when he finally started the car.

_Men_.

"I will pay you back naturally." she added after a moment.

"Never mind that." He darted a glance at her, his lips still stretched. "I'm always happy to buy a pretty woman some underwear."

She had to suppress the urge to snort. "And does that happen often?"

He took a second longer than necessary to answer the question, wavering between joking it off and answering honestly, she wagered.

"Not that much in the last few years, no." he eventually mumbled, the tip of his ears turning red.

They had reached the gate and he hurried out of the car to open it. She slid into the driver seat before he could dash back to move the car. No sense in him coming back inside the car only to get back out to close the gate. It wasn't the sort of cars she was used to driving. She was more into sport cars with sleek elegant lines than compact SUV but she managed. Once he had closed the gate, she slid back onto the passenger seat.

It was clear he had hoped that topic would be dropped but she found it amusing to see how flushed she could make him.

"Regarding those women…" she hummed. "In terms of numbers… Are we more in the single digit column or the double digits column?"

He almost choked and then glared at her. "You're making fun of me."

She laughed. "Think of it as payback for the vacuum cleaner, darling."

"Don't pet name me." he grumbled.

"Oh, is that _your_ prerogative?" she teased.

He took a deep breath and kept his eyes on the road.

"For the record…" he said slowly, a warning in his voice. "You being a smart ass ain't helping me keep my hands off you."

"Duly noted." she commented, deliberately crossing her legs. Predictably his gaze darted there, lingered, and then went back to the road.

They were silent for a moment.

"There hasn't been a woman in a while." he hesitated. "With the girls…" He shrugged. "I don't like leaving them to go to a bar, it's… I don't know. And being out at a bar is a problem in itself so… I don't make a habit of picking up runaway brides on the side of the road and ask them to stay if that's your question."

Her grin softened into a smile. "It wasn't but I appreciate that." It was her turn to be silent. He wasn't being particularly inquisitive and she had the feeling he would have been happy to leave that conversation at that but… Honesty called for honesty, didn't it? And… As crazy as this whole thing was, she wanted it to _work_. She wasn't sure yet that what was between them would turn out into a love story or just a very satisfying affair – although she was determined to shield the girls from any potential fallout – but she wanted to do it right. "I slept with him. My fiancé. It was expected."

He glanced at her but his face remained schooled into a blank expression. "I ain't asking."

"I know." She turned her head, watched the landscape through the window. It was a ten minutes drive to the town and it wasn't long before the dust roads turned into cobbled streets. "I didn't like it but I went along with it anyway."

"Effie…" She could hear the wince in his voice, the awkwardness too. "If you want me to _fuck_ off… Just tell me to, yeah?"

"What?" She frowned and looked back at him. "No, I was not… Would you _mind_ your language?" She studied him for a moment and then shook her head. "I enjoy the flirting and I would most likely enjoy… _more_. I just wanted to be honest."

"Okay…" He maneuvered the car in a parking spot, his attention all to the rearview mirror… "But I mean it. You want me to _fuck_ off, you just say so. No question asked. You don't go along with anything you don't like just to make me or the kids happy." He turned the engine off and angled his body toward her. "Deal?"

She studied him attentively and then licked her lips. "If you weren't an obvious slob with a potty mouth I would tend to believe you are perfect."

He snorted, his eyes distant again. "I'm really not."

They exited the car and she followed him down the street, trying not to be too obvious with the limping. She was aware he slowed down his pace so she could keep up. She was also aware everyone out and about on that street was staring at them.

Haymitch's face was closed off and his jaw was clenched.

"Are you a local celebrity or something?" she asked pointedly when the staring didn't politely move on to other subjects of interest.

"Just the local crazy vet who came back to adopt two kids. Also one of the few single men in town." he muttered. "I'm juicy gossip on a good day. Their favorite is that the girls are biologically mine. Ain't sure _how _I'm supposed to have fathered them from the other end of the planet but… That's small town gossip for you."

She locked her arm around his elbow with a grin and when he startled she wriggled her eyebrows. "Let's give them something to talk about, then."

For a second she thought she had gone too far but then he snorted and slid his arm out from under hers to wrap it around her shoulders, bringing her into his side. It was a little more intimate than what she had had in mind but he was warm and the cold wind was terrible on the bare skin of her legs so she didn't move away.

The only restaurant in town wasn't that far from where he had parked the car and it wasn't that full either. _Greasy Sae's _the sign proudly announced. A little bell rang when Haymitch pushed the door and Effiefelt all the eyes in the place turn toward them. It lasted a handful of seconds, then the whispering started.

She kept her head high, pretended not to have noticed, but conducted her own visual inspection in the meantime. The place was full of people on their lunch break, most of them were already at dessert. It wasn't a five stars restaurant – _hell_, it wasn't probably even a _one _star restaurant – but it was clean and nicely decorated – in a rustic way that made it charming to her outsider's eyes.

"Ah… Bringing me the new wife, boy?"

The old woman who had waved back to her the previous day walked out of what clearly was the kitchens. Haymitch rolled his eyes but also bent down to briefly hug her.

"You _know_ I didn't get married, Sae." he scowled.

"I know you came back from the city yesterday with a pretty girl in a wedding dress in your car." the woman countered, hands on her hips. "Can't blame people for jumping to conclusions. Did you order her online? I heard you could do that now."

Haymitch almost choked in indignation.

Effie remained unfazed by the rudeness of that woman who was talking about her in those terms right in front of her. It was not the worst she had ever seen in her life despite how impolite it was.

"Actually, he found me in the street." she replied.

The old woman's eyebrows shot up as she considered her. "Well… Everyone's got to make a living…"

When she realized how that sounded, she blushed. "Not like _that_. I meant…"

"She means she's a friend who's gonna stay with us for a while." Haymitch cut her off. "She's gonna help out with the girls."

"Oh, so you're _not _on your way to the city hall to get married?" Sae mocked. "Couldn't tell what with the new wedding dress…"

Effie pursed her lips, refusing to be turned into a subject of amusement. "_Fashion_. But I would not expect you to understand."

Haymitch didn't like that, she could tell, not the gibe nor the holier-than-thou attitude, but Sae laughed.

"She's got a backbone. I like her." the old woman declared, patting Haymitch's arm. She flashed Effie a smile that was missing a couple of teeth and outstretched a hand. "I'm Sae. I've known that one since he was in diapers so if you want embarrassing stories, you know who to come to."

Haymitch rolled his eyes. "She _doesn't_."

Behind him, Effie mouthed "I _do_." making Sae laugh some more.

"Get your girl a table, boy." the old woman ordered, walking back to her kitchen.

Haymitch shook his head, bent over the check-out counter to grab two menus and then steered Effie toward the back of the restaurant with a hand at the small of her back. At her surprised look, he shrugged. "Worked here when I was a kid."

That actually made sense.

The table he chose was far enough back that people eventually stopped looking at them, which Effie was glad about given her lack of make-up and the not quite finished dress on her back.

Haymitch didn't even glance at his menu – she suspected the menu hadn't changed since he had worked there – but Effie looked over hers twice, desperate to find something that _wasn't_ fried. She was starting to understand why it was called _Greasy Sae_, grease seemed to be a key element of her cooking.

She was aware Haymitch was studying her over the edge of her menu but didn't pay him any mind as she looked over the selections again.

"You're a picky eater." he accused with some disappointment.

"I am _not_." she lied. "I am just trying to find something that won't be bathed in grease."

"It's not _that_ bad." He was glaring a little and she wondered if she was insulting him by questioning his dubious choice of restaurant – not that there was any choice given that it was the _only _restaurant in town.

"I did not say it was." she retorted defensively.

He looked ill-at-ease and a little grumpy all at once. He sneered. "Well, it's not _canard à l'orange."_

He butchered the pronunciation but she didn't think it wise to remark on it right then.

"You have been nothing but kind to me. When you are not being insufferable, that is." she huffed. "I do _not _nor did I _ever_ expect you to feed me _canard à l'orange_." She stressed the wrong vowel with some irony like he had before closing the menu a little too quickly. "And I am _not_ criticizing your friend's restaurant, I am simply used to a particular sort of food and I am wary that this amount of fried aliments will upset my stomach. My apologies. This being said I will try the Caesar salad."

It seemed like a safe choice.

She hoped.

She glared at her empty glass of water all the time it took the waitress to notice them. And when she did notice them, Haymitch spent ten minutes chit-chatting about the weather and their respective kids before ordering instead of introducing her. What was worse: the woman was clearly interested in him. She kept tilting her head and smiling when it was his turn to talk, she fiddled with her hair far too much and she touched his shoulder when she left with a promise to be right back with their order.

Effie was starting to reconsider her choices. In the dull light of this small restaurant, choosing to stay didn't look insane, it looked _stupid_. You just didn't decide to settle down with a stranger who had two small children and expect… Expect what? He had promised _nothing_ to her. He had offered her a roof if she helped out with the girls, that was it. As far as the attraction between them went, he had said they should see where it led, he hadn't said he wanted to be serious about it.

Did she want him to be serious about it? She didn't have the best track record at serious relationships.

But she didn't want him to be a player, that much she knew.

The silence was uncomfortable and, if it had been a first date, Effie was certain it was the point where she would have stood up with a half-cooked excuse about a sudden emergency.

What could she invent right then though? And where could she go?

No, no, no… It wouldn't do to fall in the same traps. She hadn't wanted to be a trophy wife… She didn't want to stay in that town just because she didn't have the means to leave. It wasn't fair. Not to her, not to the children and probably not even to him.

She took a deep breath and looked up, intending to tell him it was all a mistake. She hadn't expected him to be watching her with a boyish pout. When he caught her watching, he winced.

"Look…" he hesitated.

She wasn't certain what she was supposed to _look at _because his sentence trailed off into silence again.

"You are sensitive about food." she remarked.

He winced harder. "I know what it's like to go hungry, that's all."

"I don't." she replied, point blank. She sympathized, she did. It was awful. And it was even more awful that sweet Katniss knew hunger too. But… "Should I feel guilty for that? Ashamed?"

"No." he scowled. "That _ain't_ what I said. You're twisting my words."

"Am I?" she challenged and then shook her head. "Because I might have been wealthy, Haymitch, but it does not mean I was happy. And look at me now. I am poorer than poor."

She stood up and crossed the room quickly, aware that the few customers left in the restaurant watched her storm out. She tried not to make it obvious she was upset but between the limp and those stupid boots that hurt every step she took, it was complicated.

She felt stupid.

* * *

_Trouble in paradise already? What did you think? Will he ever get to buy her underwear or is she going to run (limp) away? Let me know!_


	7. Treasure

**Chapter 7: Treasure**

* * *

The wind had become stronger since they came in and the cold of it shocked her. Effie remained there for a moment, breathing it in, letting it calm her down…

Where was she going to go if she decided to leave Haymitch's place? Would she sleep under the stars tonight? _Could_ she do that? She knew herself. Living rough wasn't exactly her forte. And it was getting cold fast. She would last one night, maybe two, but not much more. And with that ankle, she couldn't really _walk _long distance so…

There were two men smoking under a porch on the other side of the street, she headed straight there without a second thought and begged them for a cigarette. She smiled and flirted until she had her prize between her fingers. The first drag was _heaven_ and she breathed out a long cloud of smoke that did wonders for her nerves.

When she heard the little bell and saw Haymitch exit the restaurant, she thanked the men and crossed the street again, feeling a little steadier.

"You smoke." he said and he didn't bother masking his disapproval.

"I quitted a couple of months ago." she countered. "You drove me to it. The last forty-eight hours drove me to it."

She didn't mention that she quitted every six months and usually lasted only three before picking up the habit again. She had a bad tendency to gravitate toward cigarettes when she was stressed. She had since she was fifteen.

It had been her way of imitating her big sister at first and then a way of rebelling when her mother was overbearing. Smoking in secret was the sweetest revenge.

"Don't smoke around the kids, that's all I ask." He shrugged. That surprised her because she thought he would make it a big thing. He must have caught it on her face. "Chaff smokes too from time to time. He usually keeps it to his house but… Yeah." He shrugged again, clearly uncomfortable. "To each their own ways to cope, yeah?"

She had expected another argument and thus she relaxed. She took another drag and then forced herself to drop the cigarette, crushing it under the ill-fitting boot. "I _did_ mean to quit for good."

He nodded his acknowledgement and looked down, kicking at a loose cobblestone. "Didn't mean to sound all… _up in arms_ about the food."

It wasn't quite an apology but she felt herself softening nevertheless.

"You know…" she hesitated. "You will think me horrible for drawing the comparison but… I was forced to go on _so many_ diets over the years…" He cringed and clearly made an effort to keep his temper under check so she hurried to finish. "I mean, when I was thirteen, Mother only allowed me to eat soup and healthy smoothies for a whole year because I was so chubby… No solids, at all." She laughed it off. In retrospect, perhaps that wasn't a good thing to confess to a man she was hoping to eventually seduce. "I have never gone _hungry_, of course, but food for me is… _complicated_. I am used to… I am used to think in terms of calories and…"

"You're _fucking_ beautiful." he scoffed, incredulous. "What would you need to do that _shit _for?" He cringed even further. "And what sort of mom forbids her daughter from _eating_?"

"She did let me eat soup." she countered defensively. Her fingers were itching and she regretted dropping the cigarette so soon. Or confessing that much. "And Seneca sneaked me a pack of sweets once. It was not that bad."

Haymitch looked horrified. He shook his head, placed a hand at the small of her back and guided her back inside the restaurant. "Yeah, that's it. We're keeping you. It'd be like sending a dog back to its abusers."

"Are you comparing me to a _dog_?" she growled. "And I was never _abused_."

"Sure, you weren't. Cause it's totally natural to force her daughter to marry dinosaurs and expect her to sleep with them." he muttered in a tone that let her understand very plainly what he thought of that.

"It was not like that." she protested, perhaps too faintly.

"Seems like that to me. If it quacks like a duck and all that _shit_." He snorted. "Come on, I'm promise I won't give you _shit_ about the food anymore." He paused and then snorted again. "And for the record, you don't need to watch your figure. You could easily gain a few pounds. You're so skinny it can't be healthy."

He had probably meant that as a compliment but she took it like a slap in the face. She sat back down, pursing her lips. "Are you saying I am too thin to be attractive?"

"No, I'm saying…" he started, sitting back down. He froze once he was across the table again. "_Shit_, I did the thing, yeah? I commented on your weight and now I'm trapped in scorned women hell?" He winced. "I'm telling you right now, I don't have the experience to dig myself out of that hole. Told you, I don't really date."

He looked so candid that instead of getting worked up, she actually relaxed.

"I suggest you refrain from commenting on my figure if it is not going to be a compliment in the future." she remarked.

"Noted." He smirked. "It's a _damn_ fine figure, anyway."

She chuckled. "Yes, like this. Perfect."

"I aim to please." he mocked.

The awkward uncomfortable tension had vanished and Effie let herself relax, smiling more genuinely again. Of course, that was when the waitress with her dark hair pulled up in a hasty bun arrived with their food.

She remained unacknowledged by either party again and if there was one thing Effie hated, it was being ignored. She drummed her nails on the table until the woman was gone.

"Pretty." she commented.

He frowned. "The salad?"

The salad looked like every other Caesar salad she had seen in her life. A glance at his plate told her the fried chicken _wasn't_ as greasy as she had feared but the sight of it made her queasy all the same. She wasn't used to that kind of food and she had the feeling she would need to.

"The waitress." she deadpanned, looking back up at him with eyebrows playfully raised.

His smirk told her he wasn't _that _unaware of the woman's crush on him. "Hazelle's a friend."

"Oh, _Hazelle_…" She let her eyes drift back to the woman who was making her way around tables. She studied her more closely this time. Mid-thirties, probably. Closer to Haymitch's age than to hers. A little plump but that was to be expected, she supposed, if she had a couple of children. Attractive in a country way. "The only other woman in town who isn't a dinosaur that you like…"

"Katniss has a way with words, doesn't she?" He snorted, attacking his chicken.

"She certainly does." She stabbed a piece of tomato. "Do you? Like her?"

"What's this? High school?" he taunted. When Effie only lifted her eyebrows again, a little less playfully, he rolled his eyes. "She's got five kids and a dead husband, sweetheart. She ain't really interested. The flirting's just that."

"She looks _very_ interested to me." she hummed.

And why wouldn't she be? Haymitch was handsome, clearly good with children…

"You've got a _damn_ fine figure, you know that?" he deadpanned. It was such a clear deflection that she couldn't help but laugh. He looked pleased to have amused her but soon grew serious again. "There's nothing between us and there's never gonna be anything. I've known her since we were kids. I know she'd have liked it at times but… It's just not there."

She resisted the urge to ask if _it_ was _there _between the two of them. She thought it could be but the thought was a little frightening.

"Sae's been hinting for a while I should take her on as a housekeeper. She could use the extra cash." he added. "Since you say the house's a mess…"

It wasn't her place to comment and so she simply smiled but she still felt a tinge of guilt. She hadn't meant to insult his home. "I could take care of it, you know."

He looked very amused. "I saw you with that vacuum cleaner, sweetheart."

"I can _learn_." she huffed. "And it would only be right… You are letting me stay with you for free…"

"It's fine." he dismissed. _Again_.

She dropped it this time, moved a small piece of cold chicken around the plate in a way that would have horrified her mother… "Truth?" He shrugged his agreement and kept shoveling his food in his mouth as if he was starving. It was an atrocious display of table manners but she didn't comment on it. "I would not say the house is a mess. It is _clean_. But two children require a lot of work from a single person, at least I imagine so, and it would probably be easier for you if you hired someone to do the cleaning, yes." She made a face, feeling exactly like the posh person he had accused her of being because of the food. "But, again, I would be happy to do it. I _can_ learn."

It wasn't that she really wanted to get her hands dirty but… She felt she had to _contribute _somehow if she was going to live there.

"Let's see how it goes, alright?" he answered around a mouthful of chicken.

"Don't talk with your mouth full." she chided. That amused him and he made a point of chewing loud and with an open mouth. She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "This will _not _convince me to take my clothes off for you, you know."

He snorted and washed off the too big mouthful with some water.

"We'll see." he said again. "If she really needs the extra cash, I'll ask her to come in once or twice a week… She's gonna need it around Christmas anyway…"

He was talking to himself more than he was talking to her and Effie was fascinated. He _really _was a good man. A part of her had been wondering if he was putting on a show to get into her pants but…

"What do you do?" she asked curiously. "I mean, you said you used to be a soldier but you never said if you had a job or…"

His face darkened as he sneered, suddenly bitter. "The only thing I know how to do is kill. They frown on that when it's not sanctioned by the government."

His mood had turned dramatically and she didn't like it, mostly because all the bitterness and self-loathing seemed painful. She reached across the table and covered his hand. He shook his head once, clearly coming back to the present moment… She wasn't sure where his mind had been wandering but it couldn't have been pretty.

"From what_ I_ have seen…" she countered softly. "You excel at a lot of other things."

He licked his lips but only held her eyes for a second before looking down at his mostly empty plate. "Never found another job. Don't really need to. One good thing to Special Forces is that it pays _really _well. I've barely touched any of it. And I got compensation for my injury on top of it so, there's a stipend that goes with that… I didn't want it. Ain't like the injury left permanent damages or anything but…"

He waved the rest away.

It was probably the longest thing he had revealed about himself that day.

It didn't feel right to push too much so she changed the subject, commenting on how good the salad was – a bit of an exaggeration maybe but he looked grateful to be left off the hook.

The restaurant was almost completely empty by the time they ordered some dessert. It was late enough that most people had gone back to work, she supposed. They didn't discuss anything serious anymore. He told her anecdotes about the girls, funny little stories like how they found the three geese lost in the woods behind the house or how Prim had managed to sweet talk him into buying _a goat…_

Effie was laughing hard and teasing him and it was the best time she had had in _ages_. Haymitch did that thing when he wanted to chuckle and smile at the same time, that sort of smirk that wasn't really a smirk, and she was very quickly becoming fascinated with it.

She was sorry to see the meal end when Sae wandered to their table but, at the same time, they were the last ones there and their desserts had long been gone.

"I'd ask if you've enjoyed your time but it's a bit obvious you did." the woman mocked. "You stay any longer, boy, I'm gonna have you do the dishes. She lives with you, you said, you can keep flirting with her at home. No need to camp in my restaurant."

She wasn't _actually_ kicking them out, Effie mused, but Haymitch rolled his eyes all the same. "You talk like this to all your clients?"

Sae snorted. "Only the stupid ones."

There was a deep fondness in the woman's voice. It was clear there was an important bond between the two of them.

"You ain't that funny, you know." Haymitch commented. "Say, you're still looking for a seamstress?"

Sae groaned. "Don't get me started. You know how long I've wanted curtains on those windows?" She nodded to the windows on the far wall. "Got the fabric and everything… When am I supposed to find the time to do the hems though? Ain't like I've got a _fucking_ business to run…"

"Well…" Effie grinned. "Isn't it your _lucky_ day…"

By the time they left the restaurant, she had been hired to do the curtains – but only once her ankle had healed because Sae wouldn't hear otherwise – and if she did a good job, the old woman had promised to advertise her around. Apparently, there _was _some demand for a seamstress. It wouldn't be exciting, mostly curtains, tablecloths, maybe some embroideries on sheets, hems and the likes… But… It was a start.

The ambitious side of her was already calculating that if she made enough benefits, she could potentially expand a little… Maybe if she designed and created a couple of dresses, she could sell them?

It took longer than Haymitch had planned to go around the few shops in town: first because her ankle and the ill-fitted boots slowed them down and then because the spare parts he thought he needed for the sewing machine weren't as easy to find as he had hoped. People were helpful though and they eventually bought them from someone who didn't own a shop but collected that sort of stuff – it was a little like a treasure hunt because they had to talk to at least four different people to get there, it allowed her to meet some potential customers too. She was a novelty in a town where nothing changed, people were both curious and wary of her.

She could barely walk anymore once they secured the parts though and she dropped on the first stone bench she saw. It was half crumbling around the edges and had clearly been there decades if not more but she let out a sigh of relief at being off her feet.

"You're okay?" Haymitch worried. "Sorry, I didn't think there would be that much walking… Should have told you to wait in the car…"

"I will be fine…" she promised. "I think the boots are just making it worse."

"We should buy you shoes." he suggested for the third time.

"It's alright." she refused. It was bad enough that she had been forced to borrow money from him to buy some underwear – the cheapest she could find, meaning they came in a package of boring white; probably the ugliest she had ever owned too. It certainly wasn't the sexy adventure they had hinted at in the car but, on the other hand, she really hadn't expected to find a lingerie shop in that town.

"I'm gonna swing by Aster's later and borrow some sneakers." he insisted.

That, she could live with. "I do not think I ever wore sneakers. I do not think I ever wore anything that didn't have heels."

"You were a kid once." he pointed out. "You must have."

"Oh, I had those darling flat ballet shoes…" she hummed. "And then once I turned twelve it was heels for me. Mother insisted it was only proper."

He shook his head. "Your mother seems like a _real_ piece of work." He checked his watch. "It ain't worth going back home. School's gonna be over soon."

They waited on the bench. He probed at her childhood, clearly torn between shock and pity when she told her she had never actually been on a swing or down a slide. He didn't seem to consider _playing_ _with_ _dolls_ an appropriate pastime and insisted she had missed out by not running free outside or kicking a ball. She tried to explain that her mother would have had a heart attack if she had done any of that – never mind the fact that she would probably have gotten herself dirty and then there would have been _hell _to pay – but he didn't seem to truly understand.

Prim beamed when she spotted her when they picked the girls up and ran straight to her, colliding against her legs and hugging them for dear life. Then she dragged her to her best friends so she could properly be introduced. Rue and Rory looked like good children. Rue's mother had the same haggard look Hazelle did. Too many children, she supposed.

Eventually, Haymitch perched Prim on his shoulders and they went on to get Katniss – and Peeta for a playdate, she was informed – with the girl telling them all she had learned at school that day. She was learning her letters, apparently.

Katniss' greeting was less enthusiastic than Prim's but Effie _was_ introduced to the rest of her little band of friends, dragged by Peeta who had caught her hand as soon as he had seen her. It seemed that Katniss' crown braid hairdo had been a major success with the girls and she had to promise a shy girl named Annie that she would do her hair sometimes.

It was hard to keep up with all the names, between the children and the parents. The adults were particularly curious about her but Haymitch didn't offer a more detailed explanation about her sudden presence than what he had told Sae so she let it rest – but didn't waste an opportunity to advertise her new seamstress business though.

The drive back to the house was noisy with the three excited children on the backseat and Effie was relieved once they had eaten an – equally noisy – snack when Katniss and Peeta begged Haymitch to take them in the woods. Prim wanted to stay home though and Haymitch was clearly reluctant to leave her behind with Effie.

She couldn't quite blame him. They had known each other for twenty-four hours, it was hardly long enough to build the kind of trust necessary to leave a child in one's hands.

"I'll be fine." Prim insisted. "I want to show her Lady!"

Haymitch sighed and crouched in front of the girl. "Her ankle's hurt, remember, you've got to let her rest a little first, okay?" When he stood back up, he loosely coiled his fingers around Effie's wrist. "Phone numbers are on the fridge. Signal is tricky in the forest but you can't reach me, you call Chaff. You can't get him, Sae's next. Alright?"

She pursed her lips. "I won't break your child in the thirty minutes stroll you are going to take."

He didn't seem _that _confident and he looked back over his shoulder a lot when he finally herded the children towards the woods. Was _that _safe, she wondered? Woods didn't seem like a child friendly place.

Prim, she quickly concluded, was an easy child and if she had been well on her way to be wrapped around the girl's finger that morning, she was now completely bewitched. She introduced her to the goat – Effie remained well back and insisted Prim was very careful when she touched the animal and then she spent ten minutes washing the girl's hands to her obvious delight – they stayed at the back of the house. The goat had a little fence all to herself so she could wander around and a makeshift shelter in one corner. There was also what Prim explained was a pen for the geese but Effie insisted that if it was a pen for the geese then the geese would be better _in _it instead of freely roaming around the overgrown yard.

She didn't let Prim run too far away from her. The grass was so tall she was a little afraid she would lose the girl.

All in all, it was a relief when they ended up sitting on the plushy rug in the girls' bedroom, if only because Effie felt much better once her weight off her hurt ankle.

"Do you like sharing with Katniss?" she asked curiously. "Wouldn't you prefer having your own bedroom?"

She would have gone mad if she had been forced to share a room with Lyssandra.

"Katniss likes it better." Prim shrugged. "I don't mind."

It was the only room in the house that was clearly _new. _The color theme was all blue and green, there were two single beds with plenty of white cabinets, round plushy rugs in green and blue, a doll house with a respectable amount of inhabitants, toys scattered around, white shelves with children books… If Haymitch had put the same attention into the rest of the house, it could have been so beautiful… There was a lot of wasted potential there and she vowed to talk to him about it at some point.

She spotted a few framed pictures on the dresser but didn't look any closer because she didn't want to accidentally upset Prim. There was a man in a few of the pictures she supposed to be the girls' biological father and a woman who must have been their mother… The ones featuring Haymitch and the children were at the front though, clearly the favorites.

"Do you want to see my treasure box?" Prim asked.

She had already been showed most of the toys in the room and had been entrusted with the safekeeping of the stuffed cat that was Prim's favorite and, she had been informed, without which the child couldn't sleep.

The treasure box was full of knickknack and Effie smiled remembering the music box full of similar mementoes she kept in her bedroom. She felt a wave of sadness when she remembered the box was probably gone now, if her mother had gone through with her threat of giving everything away – and she probably had. There were plastic rings and necklaces, carefully cut out butterfly pictures, and at the very bottom a bunch of heavy metal _things_ stuck to large ribbons of various colors.

It was so incongruous to find them there that it took Effie a moment to realize they were _medals_.

"Uncle Haymitch gave them to me." Prim told her when she saw her inspecting one. "He doesn't like them."

There was a collection of them and Effie licked her lips. They didn't give medals for free or, at least, she didn't think so. For his current dislike of the army, he must have done some pretty courageous things… She had no clue what the medals meant and she already knew she wouldn't ask but they seemed like a good indication of the number of times he had risked his life and probably saved some as well.

She put them back in the box when she heard the front door open and shut, quickly closing the girl's treasure box. Prim put it back in its usual hiding place and snatched the stuffed cat from her lap right in time for Haymitch to appear on the room's threshold, a little out of breath. Whatever fear he had created for himself seemed to vanish when he found them on the floor, surrounded by discarded toys.

"Everything's okay?" he asked.

Effie pursed her lips to stop herself from smiling. "Didn't I tell you I would not break her in such a short amount of time?"

He rolled his eyes but there was a smile tugging at his lips.

He was a lot more relaxed than a moment earlier though.

* * *

_Look at this... They managed to COMMUNICATE. Who knew it was possible XD Did you enjoy this chapter? Can we agree a baby Prim is my new favorite thing to write? What did you think? Let me know your thoughts!_


	8. Real Life

**Chapter 8: Real Life**

* * *

Effie startled awake, not quite sure what had woken her up. It took her a moment to place the unfamiliar room and, once she had, it took her longer to convince her racing heart to calm down. She hadn't closed the curtains before going to bed and she was surprised by how much natural light was slipping through the window. So far from the city, it wasn't headlights or streetlights but the moon and the stars. Somehow, she had expected it to be pitch dark.

She startled again when she heard the cry coming from somewhere over her head, on the roof. Some stupid bird. An owl, probably.

Muttering under her breath, she checked the alarm clock, feeling wide awake. It wasn't that late but she had gone to bed around the same time as the children, feeling exhausted – and quite full because Haymitch made _very good _lasagnas. She lied down, closed her eyes and tried to get back to sleep but her mind wouldn't settle. Dark thoughts swirled around her skull: was she making a mistake choosing to stay? Should she call her parents and _beg_ them to take her back? Should she visit her ex-fiancé and _grovel_?

After ten minutes of tossing and turning, she muffled a frustrated scream against her pillow and kicked off the blankets. She had spotted bags of chamomile in one of the kitchen's cupboards, perhaps that would calm her down enough that she could go back to sleep.

It was cold far from her nest of blankets and she shivered when her bare feet ventured on the corridor's floorboards. She was careful to keep quiet, mindful of the sleeping children on the other side of the corridor.

She relaxed when she saw the light coming from downstairs. Haymitch must have still been up. Perhaps she could tempt him with a mug of herbal tea and some conversation until she felt sleepy again – or until she forgot why the game of cat and mouse they had going was so fun and she pushed him straight to the finish line. Somehow, she thought he would know how to make her body limp and heavy enough that sleep wouldn't be a problem.

She was mid-stairs when she heard the voices and she froze.

"You ran a background check on her?" Haymitch's voice scoffed, sounding a little amused.

Effie frowned. As far as she could tell, Haymitch and whoever he was talking to were in the living-room.

"You've invited a total stranger to live with my two best girls." a man answered, just as amused. "_Of course_, I ran a background check on her. I was at work anyway, might as well do something useful for once."

The voice was somehow familiar but she had met so many people that day that it took her a moment to identify _Chaff_.

"Don't you think that's overkill?" Haymitch taunted.

Effie went down a step lower, her frown deepening. She didn't like the sound of what she was hearing. They were _clearly _talking about her.

A background check? Wasn't that _quite_ invasive?

"Like you weren't planning on it." Chaff accused with a chuckle. "I've been your second in command for a good decade, remember? I know how you think. You knew I'd do it and, this way, you keep your hands clean and you don't have to feel guilty about investigating your little crush."

Effie gaped, waiting for the denial that would _surely_ follow…

There was none.

Haymitch was quiet for entirely too long and it was as good as a confession.

"It ain't a crush…" he eventually countered, almost too low for her to pick up.

She hastily stepped down, wincing when one of the steps creaked under her weight. She froze, waiting for someone to call her out on her eavesdropping, ready to pretend she had _just _come down and hadn't heard a thing – and then maybe go back upstairs, escape through the window and run for the hills because _who _ran background checks on other people?

There was a clear pause in the conversation but nobody came out to accuse her of spying though.

"You prefer love at first sight?" Chaff mocked. "Look, I get the kids got taken with her… I've heard all about it from Prim, she looked like a princess, your eyes met, it was all butterflies, rainbows and _fucking_ unicorns…"

"I'm pretty sure I'd have noticed a unicorn." Haymitch snorted. "It ain't _love_, don't be _fucking_ stupid…"

"Of course, it ain't _love_." Chaff retorted. He must have been pacing or something like it because his shadow was dancing back and forth in the halo of light spilling in the hallway. Effie watched it, biting down on her bottom lip. "It's your _dick_ saying it's tired of being on holidays. Can't blame you. She's hot."

"_Careful_." Haymitch growled.

The knot of dread in Effie's stomach eased up a little. At least he wasn't partaking in that kind of talk.

"See?" Chaff triumphed. "You ain't thinking clearly. Cause inviting a strange girl to live with you and take care of your kids? _Fuck_, that _ain't_ you."

There was a short silence and Effie pictured Haymitch rolling his eyes.

"There's something about her…" he replied, hesitating a little. "She's… _bright_."

"Not according to what came up, she ain't." Chaff mocked. "Graduated from high school with average grades. No college education. You don't have a genius here."

"At least, _she_ graduated." Haymitch retorted. "Not sure dropouts like us have got room to judge her grades."

She relaxed a little more. She liked that he was defending her even though she was still uncomfortable with the fact there was probably a folder right there with her whole life printed on it. She had nothing to hide, not really, but still it was… She enjoyed learning to know him. Him having everything about her already on paper felt like cheating.

"You found any red flags?" Haymitch asked before Chaff could sneer another unflattering remark. "_That_'s all I need to know."

"Didn't find much of anything." his friend reluctantly grumbled. "Pretty sad life she lived, that girl. She had a cotillion, which seems to be a rich men's _shit_ party to show off their daughters and sell them as wives…"

"Her family sounds _shitty_." Haymitch sighed. "That's also why I'm not in any hurry to send her back."

"You and your thing for strays…" Chaff scoffed. "One sister. Husband's cheating on her. Two nephews. Father's some sort of business tycoon, accounts are clear so he's the honest kind, I guess…" There was a ruffling of papers. "Four engagements counting the ones from yesterday. First one was gay. Three others were old. The last one turned out a little shady on paper. Several dropped charges of domestic abuse from the ex-wife. She dodged a bullet here if you ask me…"

"That's not a red flag, Chaff." Haymitch accused. "Don't need to know her whole life. She doesn't have a record, that's good enough for me."

"No criminal record, no." More ruffling of papers. "She's barren."

Effie stifled a gasp into her hands. They had her _medical _records? And they were _looking _at them?

Katniss had explained Chaff was into private security and she had understood they were into surveillance but _this_? This was _extreme_. And completely _inappropriate_ and…

"Yeah, she mentioned." Haymitch growled. "You're tossing that out there to make her feel like _shit_?"

"Just wondering how long she's gonna keep on listening." Chaff retorted. "All that spying doesn't exactly make me want to trust her."

_They were making fun of her. _

They knew she was there. Of course, they did. They were former Special Forces and who knew what else.

She flushed crimson and huffed, torn between storming upstairs and ripping the two of them a new one. She felt ridiculous, standing there in Haymitch's borrowed shirt. Ridiculous and _humiliated_.

She hesitated too long. Haymitch appeared on the living-room's threshold, a sheepish expression on his face. "Effie…"

"I'm leaving." The words tumbled out of her mouth but she didn't try to take them back. She took a deep breath and the decision settled in her chest. "I'm _leaving_." she repeated, turning around to limp back up the stairs.

She saw the flash of alarm on Haymitch's face but she didn't care. She didn't count on him catching up with her. She was barely past mid-stairs when he grabbed her arm. She shrugged him off, whirling around to face him.

"Don't touch me!" she shrieked.

He glanced up with a wince.

"Don't shout, you're gonna frighten the kids." he whispered.

"Oh, you mean like _you _are frightening _me, _right now?" she retorted, keeping her voice low nevertheless. Her blue eyes darted past him and to the man standing at the bottom of the stairs with his arms crossed. Chaff's face was blank but his dark eyes roamed down her bare legs and she felt a chill that had nothing to do with the cold. She glanced back at Haymitch and then made a dash for her bedroom, hurt ankle be _damned_. She should have known he would follow her. "Leave me alone." she growled when he closed the door behind him.

She looked around for a potential weapon and found a grand total of nothing. Eventually she grabbed the ugly vase on the dresser and lifted it as a warning.

What would good a dusty vase do against a former soldier though?

There were tears pricking her eyes and she backed away until her back hit the wall. The window was to her right. If she managed to open it…

"Princess, please…" Haymitch whispered, lifting both hands in front of him. He made no move to cross the room and come closer. "I won't hurt you. You know I won't hurt you."

"_I don't know you_!" she replied, her breath coming out in heavy heaves. She had been _stupid_. _So_ stupid. This wasn't some kind of _fucked up_ fairytale. This was real life. She had been lulled to a sense of safety by the children and now…

_Now_ _what_?, the rational part of her mind asked. What did she expect to happen? They had invaded her privacy, they hadn't threatened her life. It was not okay but it was not dangerous either.

"Effie." he said again, his tone gentle. "I'm sorry. I didn't think he would air that much, alright? That last comment was wrong."

"That _last_ comment?" She half-laughed, feeling a little hysterical. "_The whole thing_ is wrong. Who does that sort of things?"

He shrugged, his face a little apologetic but not quite regretful. "We're paranoid people. You learn to be in our line of work."

"Well, good luck with that." she hissed, putting down the vase. He wasn't going to attack her. She didn't think so. Her guts told her no. He hadn't tried to reach for her again. And if he had wanted to… He had had ample opportunities to corner her during the day. Hell, she had made it clear she was interested. If he had wanted to… He _would have_ already. "I hope you had fun dissecting my life. For the record, if you had _asked_, I would have told you whatever you wanted to know."

She headed for the dresser and opened the sadly empty drawer she had filled with her new underwear. She ripped the package open with her teeth and quickly slipped a pair of panties on. At the sharp intake of breath behind her, she knew he had caught a glimpse of her ass. She didn't care. It was the only glimpse of it he was ever going to get.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice a little strangled.

"I told you." she snapped. "I am _leaving_."

She dashed past him and back into the corridor, followed it to its very end, being careful to keep quiet when she passed in front of the girls' room. Haymitch was following hot on her trail, looking a little panicked.

"You don't have to." he insisted. "Look, I'm _sorry_. I knew you were on the stairs, I heard them creaked. I thought… I wasn't hiding it from you this way…"

She tossed him an incredulous look and marched on until she reached the open door of his bedroom. She hadn't gone in there yet – out of _respect _for his privacy, imagine _that foreign concept_. She flicked the switch so the light turned on and paused on the threshold for a moment to contemplate the mess of that room. Dirty clothes on the floor, books scattered around, a few forgotten toys in the corners…

She shook her head and headed for the dresser she finally spotted on the corner, buried under a heap of shirts.

"So it makes it alright because I accidentally overheard you invading my privacy?" she deadpanned.

He slowly closed the door. "It wasn't _that_ invasive… You heard… He didn't tell me…"

"He told you enough." she snapped. "He told you _too much_. All you had to do was _ask_."

She opened and closed drawers a little at random. There was no proper system that she could understand.

"So you're snooping around my drawers as payback?" he asked, sitting down on the unmade bed.

She finally found what she wanted in the bottom drawer. She pulled out a pair of jeans and slipped them on. The length wasn't ideal but it would do once she rolled them up at the ankles, the waist now… It wouldn't stay on. She looked around until she found a belt and secured it as tightly as it would go.

"You're not _really _leaving, right?" he insisted, sounding a little wary. "You're just…"

"Oh, I _am_." she cut him off. She snatched a flannel button down shirt from the heap of clothes, sniffed it and then slipped it on over her borrowed shirt. She found a balled pair of socks and put them on quickly and then she stormed out, as quietly as she could, in the corridor, and headed downstairs.

There was nothing in the guest room she care to retrieve. The heels were the only valuable thing she owned at this point but she didn't want to carry them around and escaping on them was stupid. Haymitch had made a short trip to the girls' mother's house as promised earlier and had brought back sneakers that had seen better days. She found them where she had left them in the hallway, next to the front door.

Chaff, she was pleased to notice, had made himself scarce.

She sat down on the floor to slip the sneakers on, fighting a little with her uncooperative ankle.

"Effie, be serious." Haymitch scoffed, crouching next to her. "It's the middle of the night. Where are you going to go?"

"Where people won't run background checks on me and where their friends won't ogle me like I am a juicy bone." she sneered.

"Effie." he repeated, placing a tentative hand on her arm, stopping her futile struggle with the shoelace. "Please."

She angled her head up to glare at him. "Please _what_?"

"Please, stay." he requested.

He held her gaze as she kept glaring, his grey eyes a little sad.

"I am angry." she growled.

"Yeah. I got that part." He winced. "Like I said… I'm sorry. _Really_."

"I understand checking to see if I am a criminal on the run but my _medical records_?" she growled.

"That was overkill." he agreed immediately. "Chaff's protective. It makes him an ass sometimes."

"Language." she rebuked. "He made me uncomfortable just now."

"I'll make sure he doesn't make that kind of comments again." he promised.

"Make sure he doesn't leer at my legs either." she retorted, finally letting her shoulders slouch a little.

Haymitch's hand was still on her arm and he squeezed it gently. "I'll burn the rest of the folder. Won't look."

"It isn't like there is some huge secret in there." she huffed. "I would have _told_ you, that's all. You did not have to sneak behind my back." She pursed her lips. "And for the record I was _not _spying, I just wanted some chamomile because I couldn't sleep."

She was so keyed up now that sleep would be a long time in coming.

"I'm gonna make you some." he offered, standing up. He outstretched a hand to help her up. She kicked off the sneakers and grabbed it, letting him haul her up to her feet. He didn't let go immediately. "You weren't _really _gonna leave, yeah?"

Of course, she hadn't been going to _leave_. Not _right then_ anyway. Where did he want her to go?

She had known her theatrics would make him reveal himself however. If he cared enough to hold her back… Never mind the fact that if he was going to turn into a violent psychopath, it would have been _now_. But he hadn't even raised his voice and _that_, more than anything, told her she had been right to trust her guts about him.

"Do you want to tell me more about your _not crush_ for me and how _bright _ I am?" she deadpanned.

He chuckled and used the grip on her hand to tug her forward. She fell into the hug a little by accident but she didn't try to escape it once she was there. His arms were strong around her and he smelt good. Like the woods and cheap soap and something underneath that was manly and purely _him_.

She almost forgot to be angry for a second.

"I believe this is our first fight." she pointed out.

"We really do stuff out of order." he mocked, drawing back a little so he could cup her cheek.

He tilted her head up…

She knew what was coming the moment she met his eyes. She felt the _pull_ deep in her belly, her lips tingled in anticipation…

She escaped his arms with an haughty sniff. "Oh, _no_, certainly _not_. We are _not _having our first kiss after what happened tonight. Never mind _anything_ else so keep your mind out of the gutter."

She headed to the living-room and sat on the couch. The jeans and the belt were digging in her stomach in an uncomfortable way so she kicked both off. She kept the socks and the button up shirt layer though. She grabbed the plaid from the back of the couch and tossed it over her legs.

"You're cold?" Haymitch asked from the threshold. "Could start a fire…"

"Isn't it a little early in the season for that?" she hummed.

The fireplace was large and entirely made of bricks. It looked old but she could see it had been upgraded recently because it was encased behind a thick glass panel. She supposed it was safer for the children.

The side of the fireplace was stocked shoulder high with wood.

"It's gonna be a cold winter with a fall so chilly." he answered. It didn't make much sense to her but she liked watching him ready the wood and build the fire. "Hand me the folder, Princess."

Chaff had left it on the coffee table and she hadn't even noticed it. She grabbed it, skimming through it quickly… There was a short summary of all the important people in her life. She wondered if Rufus really was cheating on Lyssa and, if it was true, if she ought to tell her sister.

There were no terrible secrets in there because she had none.

Truly, the only thing that really made her furious was the fact Chaff had violated her medical records. Her infertility was still something she was struggling with – and the fact that her mother repeated to her endlessly that it played against her when it came to finding a husband didn't exactly make the whole thing _easier_.

She _had _mentioned it the previous night when she had told Haymitch about her former engagements but she had done so casually and he hadn't even seemed to notice. He must have been paying more attention than she had thought but he still remained unfazed by the news.

He saw what pages she was looking at and made a face. "I'm sorry about that."

About that but not about the rest, not really.

She didn't get the sense he was a man who apologized a lot though so he probably meant it. At least she hoped so.

She handed him the folder and watched as he scattered the sheets of paper before cracking a match. He lowered the glass back down once the fire had taken and disappeared toward the kitchen, presumably to make her the chamomile he had promised.

He came back a few minutes later with a mug that was too warm for her to hold. She placed it down on the floor. Instead of taking a seat on the coffee table or on the armchair like the previous night, he settled at the other end of the couch. It wasn't that big a couch. She dug her feet under his thigh. His lips twitched but he didn't comment.

They didn't talk for a long time. They watched the fire, they sipped their tea… At some point, Haymitch's hand coiled around her hurt ankle, cradling it carefully… Effie was getting a little drowsy. It was all very domestic.

They _did _do everything out of order.

A part of her felt more comfortable there, in that living-room, on that couch, than she had ever felt anywhere else though. It was only her second night there but she had the feeling she could have spent her whole life in that house and felt content – if not happy.

"If this becomes a thing…" she found the courage to mutter, clutching the empty mug in both hands. "You and I, I mean…" She let her sentence trail off, giving him an opportunity to remind her he didn't actually date, but he didn't say anything so she carried on. "Would it be a problem? The fact I cannot have babies?"

He didn't even look at her, his grey eyes were still lost in the flames. "I never wanted kids." He snorted before she could say anything. "Yeah, I know. Ironic." He shook his head and turned toward her. "I like having the girls here. They've changed my life. But I don't want any more kids."

She relaxed a little. "Alright." She playfully wriggled her toes under his thigh, a grin stretching her lips. "Tell me again how _bright_ I am, please."

He rolled his eyes but there was some fondness on his face. His thumb ran up and down the side of her ankle. "You're just… bigger than life." He shrugged. "And a bit crazy. You've got to be to jump in a stranger's car like you did." The tips of his ears flushed red and he cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed. "I don't know…" he grumbled. "I just knew I'd like you the moment I saw you."

She giggled and shifted, folding her legs under her so she could whisper in his ear. "I like you too."

He turned his head, his cheek bumping into her nose, his stubble scraping against her jaw… She let their mouths brush together once or twice, just to feel the burning _need_ flicker to life in her belly… But she drew back before he could properly kiss her…

She bit down on her bottom lip, grinning hard. "I told you. Not tonight."

He groaned. "Tease."

It didn't come out as an accusation. More like an amused rebuke.

"Think about that the next time you invade my privacy behind my back." she chuckled, sauntering off.

"Oh, I'm gonna think about it alright…" he mumbled in a rough hot tone that told her exactly what he _would do _while he was thinking about it.

She barely even felt the tinge in her ankle as she hopped up the stairs.

She felt like she was walking on clouds.

* * *

_Well, that took a turn... Chaff almost sabotaged the hayffie XD Well, Haymitch isn't entirely innocent, is he? But progress is being made. What did you think? Should Effie have fled? Let me know!_


	9. Commitment

**Chapter 9: Commitment**

* * *

After a week, Effie was attuned to Haymitch's habits and, thus, she had no problem tracking him down to the wrap-around porch. The afternoon was warm for the season but not warm enough to be reading outside on an old whicker chair that _couldn't _be comfortable. The wind blew around her as soon as she closed the front door behind her, lifting up the red skirt she had shortened and paired with a brand new white sweater. The rest of the fabric, she had turned into a scarf that was currently tied in her hair, holding her wild curls back.

Haymitch's grey eyes immediately detached themselves from the pages to track her moves, lingering on the legs the wind was revealing before roaming appreciatively on the new sweater.

She had hesitated a lot but she was glad to have bought it in the end.

After she had been done with Sae's curtains, a few other customers had approached her and, within a week, she had made herself some money doing hems, adjusting dresses and the likes. It wasn't riveting work and it hadn't earned her much but it was a start. She had tried to give the money to Haymitch as rent – part of it, at least – but he wouldn't hear of it so she had bought small gifts for the girls instead and had spent the rest on necessary change of clothes and some cheap make-up that she made do with.

"Back on heels, are you?" he mocked.

She looked down at her wedding shoes with fondness, glad to be rid of the old sneakers. She never felt more herself than when she was perched on high heels.

"My ankle is healed enough." she declared. She still felt some twitching and she wasn't sure she would keep the shoes all day but it was good to feel a little more like herself. "Can you believe I _finally_ manage to get a hold on my sister?"

And it hadn't been for fault of trying.

She leaned against the wooden balustrade that would have needed a good coat of paint, like the rest of the house, folding her arms in front of her chest to keep warm.

"Yeah? What did she say?" he asked.

She wondered if she imagined the wariness in his voice. If he was thinking she was going to pack up to go play guest at her sister's house, he was sorely mistaken.

"Oh, she had _a lot_ to say for someone who refused to take my calls…" she snorted. Mostly, Lyssa had made a point of lecturing her about breaking their mother's heart and putting their father's business in jeopardy with her inconsequential behavior. It had been on the tip of her tongue to reply that her husband was cheating just to get even. "Well… Long story short, she agreed to meet me. I asked her to get a few things from our parents' house… You would think I was asking her to commit a felony or a robbery! I simply wants my ID and my passport… _Essentials. _That sort of things!" She shook her head. "Anyway, do you think you could give me a ride to the city soon?"

Haymitch shrugged. "We're going on Wednesday. We always go on Wednesdays. Katniss' shrink appointment. We usually make an afternoon of it. Shopping or a movie… Whatever the girls are in the mood for."

"Oh. Perfect then." She shivered a little and hugged herself tighter. "What are you doing out here?"

His eyes were twinkling in _that_ way. She had become very familiar with his particular brand of flirting in the last week. They were _atrocious _flirts when left to their own devices. The banter was incessant and she was quite enjoying it.

"Enjoying the view." he deadpanned, licking his lips before letting them stretch into one of his smirks.

She hid her own smile by giving the garden behind her an unnecessary look of appraisal. "You could do so from the comfort of your living-room if you would just listen to me and rearrange a few furniture. If you dragged that ratty armchair under the window, you could read and look outside at the same time…"

"You're obsessed with rearranging my house." he accused.

She _had _maybe taken it upon herself to convince him the room could be made more agreeable by moving a few things around. He was entirely reluctant to listen but she had found two small allies in Prim and Katniss. Prim was game for anything and Katniss seemed to think she wasn't wrong and the house could benefit from some light and a good spring cleaning. Despite his most wholehearted protests, the girls had insisted they kept the rainbow shelves arrangement and had begged Effie to help them do the same in their bedroom with their own books.

"I simply have an eye for decoration." she reported. "Speaking of which… Do you own a lawnmower?"

"Do you know how to _use _a lawnmower?" he shot back, lifting his eyebrows.

"Does that matter?" she argued.

He shrugged. "It does if you plan on using it."

She didn't even bat an eyelash. "I was planning on _you_ using it, actually."

"Now, sweetheart…" he chuckled, standing up and slowly but surely coming to invade her space. His left hand grabbed the wooden railing on her right. He didn't cage her in on the other side but it was obvious he _could_ have. "Why would I do _that_?"

"Because that dead grass is taller than Katniss and your children enjoy playing outside." she said, tilting her head to the side. "_And _it would be a much nicer view."

"That's part of your mastermind plan to turn my house into something more proper." he scoffed, more amused than anything.

She tugged on one of the buttons of his shirt before smoothing the creases. "It _might_ be, yes. Think about how beautiful it would be in spring if we had flower beds around the porch."

That was assuming she would still be there next spring but…

"You're asking for a lot of work…" he pointed out, leaning in a little. His nose bumped against her cheek. "What's in it for me?"

It was the closest they had been since the night she had caught him and Chaff discussing her private affairs. She hadn't seen his friend since then, he hadn't come back around the house. They had limited themselves to word play since then. Mostly, she suspected, because they both knew it wouldn't take much to cross that line in the sand they had so much fun toying with.

"Other than the knowledge you won't risk losing the girls every time they go outside?" she teased.

His free hand found the railing on her other side so she was trapped between him and the balustrade. Not that she was complaining, though.

There was still some space between their bodies, a mockery of propriety. "Yeah… Other than _that_."

"What would you want?" She bit down on her bottom lip to stop herself from grinning as his body reacted to her dare by jerking forward a little.

"_A lot _of things." he warned. "In _a lot_ of ways."

She chuckled. "That sounds fun."

"Yeah, it does, right?" he snorted right back. He leaned in without giving her a chance to think it through or escape, perhaps a little too frustrated by that game of cat and mouse they played. It was alright with her, she was starting to feel a little frustrated too.

His mouth was chapped and warm and unyielding. His arms came around her a moment after she realized she had locked hers around his neck.

It was a hard kiss for a first kiss.

Demanding, almost _brutal_… It didn't soften. There was too much heat between them, too much lust… His tongue forced its way in her mouth but she sucked it in willingly and then…

Then it was all about control and who would get it in the end.

He pressed her hard against the balustrade, one of his hands drifting south… He groped her ass for a minute and it spurred her to abandon his mouth to bite a path down the line of his jaw… His fingers clenched her flesh… The hand trailed lower, slipped under the red skirt, the tip of his fingers dipping under the elastic of her very plain panties…

When he drew back suddenly, it was almost shocking.

But, then, she heard it too, the sound of a car engine coming closer down the lane. She hastily checked her skirt was covering her and then patted her hair, her heart racing in her chest…

She was pretty certain she would have let him have her right there and then if they hadn't been interrupted.

"_Fucking_ _cockblocker_…" Haymitch mumbled.

"Language." she chided, straining her neck to see the car. It was Chaff's and she wrinkled her nose. "It is just as well. I have finished the hems for Mrs Undersee. Do you mind if I borrow the car? I can pick up the girls from school on the way back. It's almost time."

He hadn't entirely let go of her and his arms briefly tightened around her. There was a small boyish pout on his mouth. "Fine."

"Do not sulk." she teased, planting a peck on his mouth. "It is unbecoming." She pecked his mouth again just because she could. And then another time. And another. And then it wasn't just a peck but a real kiss and it took all she had not to lose herself to the moment and to escape his arms. "I will see you later."

He grunted something that she couldn't interpret but he reluctantly let her go.

She was grinning like a fool when she dashed back inside to grab the woolen sweater she had never given back to him and the car keys. She used the back door to get out of the house and walk around it to the driveway. She had expected Chaff to have joined Haymitch by then so she was a little surprised to find him still leaning against his car.

She glanced at the house but if Haymitch understood what was going on he didn't let on. He was propped against the balustrade, his elbows on the wooden railing, watching them… He was too far to overhear but the fact that he was watching comforted her a little.

"Good afternoon." she offered in a curb polite tone. It wouldn't be said she was being rude.

Chaff seemed to be sizing her up. "Still here, then?"

She pursed her lips, feeling both uncomfortable and defensive. "I know you dislike me but…"

"I don't." Chaff shrugged. "Might even _like_ you given time. That's not my concern here. My concern's Haymitch." He shook his head. "Look, you don't have the best track record with men, and Haymitch… I don't know what it is with you but you've got him bewitched, alright? Haven't seen him like that since…" He stopped talking and sighed. "Never _really _seen him like that, to be honest. I don't want him to get hurt that's all."

She relaxed a little. "Your concern is touching but Haymitch is a grown man. He can take care of himself."

"The girls ain't." he countered. "And they both like you too much already." He waved his stump in the air to dismiss all of that. "Look… It ain't that I have a problem with _you_, love. Just… If you stick around… Be sure, alright? Ain't saying it's got to be _forever_ or some _shit_ but… Be sure you're staying for the right reasons." He nodded at her before she could think of an answer and took two steps toward the house before stopping and turning back to face her, making a face. "Yeah, and… I'm sorry about the other night. I was being an ass. I knew you were on the stairs 'cause I heard the creaking… And… I don't know. I guess I was just being an ass and that's not okay 'cause, at the end of the day, you didn't do anything to deserve it."

She studied him, noting the tension. "You care about them."

"I _love_ them." He scowled. "They're my family."

It was a little comforting to know he didn't have anything against her personally and so she sighed. "Tell him you and I are fine. He _was _a little angry about your behavior that night. Not that you had to _exile_ yourself for a whole week over it." She unlocked the car and tossed him a last serious look. "Do not _ever_ leer at me again the way you did, though. It was inappropriate and unwelcome."

"Yes, Ma'am." he snorted.

She hesitated before climbing in the car, darting a glance at Haymitch who was clearly growing impatient but still letting the conversation he couldn't hear play out. "I care about them too. I know it sounds crazy given the short amount of time I have known them but, _please_, know I would _never_ purposefully hurt them."

A weight seemed to lift from the man's shoulders as he watched her and he grinned at her, if still cautiously. "We've got to be friends, the two of us, love. It's gonna be hard on him otherwise."

"Then, friends we will be." she declared with a smile of her own.

She slipped behind the wheel and got the car on the road, attentive not to bump into anything. She had only driven the truck a handful of times and it was much bigger than the sport cars she used to drive. She also didn't really feel confident on the dirt country roads.

She stopped at the Mayor's house to drop off Mrs Undersee's clothes with their hems all done, slightly uncomfortable in the big house that was a little too dark for her taste – too many heavy drapes on the windows blocking the light – and chatted with the woman for a while out of politeness. Then she collected her payment and continued on foot to the school because she knew it would be hard to park closer and, really, because it wasn't necessary to use the car for the short distance. This wasn't the city and she was learning to enjoy it.

People nodded at her on the street, everyone knowing everyone – or at least _of _everyone. Some were familiar faces, others weren't but she quite like the whole politeness of greeting strangers.

Prim rushed into her arms as soon as she was let out, already babbling about an art project or other. Katniss was more restrained, as usual, but still smiled at her when she saw her and grabbed her free hand without complain.

"Do you need us to drop you off at the bakery, dear?" Effie asked Peeta because she couldn't see the baker or his wife.

"I'm good, Miss Trinket." the boy promised but Effie still insisted, not liking the idea of a child so young having to go home alone even though the town was relatively safer than anything she had ever known.

She didn't like the baker's wife much. The way she thanked her for having walked the boy back suggested she had gone to far too much trouble for him and there was a general dismissive attitude about her when her youngest was concerned. Peeta didn't deserve that. He was a sweet boy.

The girls never asked for any treat when they were out which always puzzled Effie – because her nephews were always full of demands. Still, she bought a pie for dessert with her freshly earned money and told them to choose a flavor. After much consideration of apple versus blueberry, they settled on a blueberry pie and then they were on their way back to the car, talking Effie's ear off as usual.

She had grown used to this awfully quickly, she mused as she laughed at something Katniss said. Perhaps a part of her had always _yearned_ for it. Not the simpler life because she wouldn't have minded having maids and a butler again – or an unlimited amount of money – but the quiet tranquility that came with a routine and children who loved her and wanted her company and the certainty of having a man who respected her waiting at home for them all… Making her own living wasn't as bad as she had feared either. It was actually satisfying to be able to say that she had _earned _the money by working. Of course, if Haymitch hadn't provided her with a roof and food, she would probably have found it a struggle because she didn't make _that_ much but… It was a start, she liked to think, and maybe in time people would trust her for more than just doing hems or cutting curtains.

She was happy, she realized as she drove the car back home, the girls talking on the back seat, the smell of the pie drifting from the passenger seat where Effie had put it… The thought was surprising and a bit unsettling because it brought the second realization that she had never really been happy before. Not like that, at least.

All her childhood and adolescence was a blur of tea parties and beauty pageants, her adult life a series of proper suitors and glittering parties and forced smiles…

_Trapped_, that was the word that came to mind to describe it. She had been _trapped_.

And now… Now she was _free_. Free from her mother's expectations, free to be herself, whatever that might be…

"Why are you crying?" Katniss asked suddenly, a touch worried.

Effie blinked, noting too late that there were silent tears rolling down her cheeks. She batted her eyelashes, hurriedly wiping them off. "I just love the two of you very much." The gate was in sight so she slowed the car. "Be a dear and open the gate for me, darling."

Katniss was still frowning at her when she rushed out of the car to do as she was told. She ran ahead afterward and Effie let her, knowing the girl was used to running wild in the garden and would reach the house quicker than the car would thanks to a few shortcuts. She parked the truck neatly in front of the garage, noting that Chaff's car was still there. She twisted around in her seat to help Prim out of her seatbelt.

The moment the girl was free, she bolted forward and wrapped her tiny arms around her neck. "I love you too."

Effie smiled, dropping a kiss on the girl's blond head.

Someone opened the car's door from outside and Prim let out a delighted greeting at Haymitch. He hugged her before telling her to run along because Chaff was inside and really wanted to play with the two of them.

Effie used the moment to collect herself and then slipped out of the car only to find herself pinned to it. Haymitch's hand cupped her cheek, his thumb running against her cheekbone. He was frowning.

"Katniss says you've been crying." he half-stated, half-asked.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her face against his shoulder for a second, smelling him in… Then she kissed him, a lot more softly than before…

"I am just _happy_." she whispered.

He snorted. "Trust you to be the weepy kind of happy."

He still kissed her again. She had the feeling he purposefully kept it slow and sweet, mostly because he knew the children would come back out of the house at any moment to investigate what was taking them so long. With a little luck, Chaff would keep them busy for a while but…

She wasn't entirely surprised when Katniss shouted at them from the wrap-around porch ten minutes later, asking them what they were doing. Haymitch rolled his eyes but Effie chuckled and followed him back into the house where they were persuaded to join in on the board game Chaff had set up.

"Told you not to interrupt, kiddo." Chaff told Katniss, laughter in his voice.

"_Taught _her to interrupt, more like." Haymitch grumbled.

The rest of the night went into the same vein, with Chaff making teasing remarks and Haymitch muttering obscenities under his breath. He and Effie seized every opportunity to touch, letting their fingers linger every time they passed something to the other at dinner, _accidentally_ bumping into each other… At some point, Haymitch followed her into the pantry and stole a kiss that left her seeing stars for a few seconds…

They put the girls to bed together. Haymitch read Prim the story she chose – because he did the voices better – but Effie acted the princess' part – because she was _that_ good at swooning. It wasn't really conductive to sleep but it did bring tears of laughter to the kids' eyes.

She really had carved a place for herself there. Only because they had let her, of course, and it wasn't always _easy_. She had next to zero experience with young children and while Prim was as sweet as you pleased, Katniss was sometimes confrontational. And Effie often clashed with Haymitch because he was stubborn and too set in his ways but… But she could see it. She could see a future there if she let it happen. If she…

The moment they were out of the girls' room, Haymitch grabbed her around the waist and pinned her to the corridor's wall, his mouth finding hers again. The heat and tension had been so steadily building throughout dinner, with all the stolen looks and touches, that she immediately melted into him, kissing back in kind…

She was vaguely aware he was steering her toward the guest room but she was too busy running her fingers in his too long hair, learning the taste of his skin to really notice.

Her mind was lost to a cloud of lust and she only truly came back to herself with a jolt when she found herself on her bed with him on top of her, kissing hard, hands wandering under clothes…

_Be sure, _Chaff had begged. And she was. _Mostly_.

She broke off the kiss and he let his mouth wandered down her jaw, down her collarbone… He slid down her body and pushed her sweater up, dropping frantic kisses on her stomach, moving upward…

The thing was, she had been sure before.

Sure that marrying Seneca was the right thing, sure that she didn't really have better options than saying yes to whoever her mother deemed suitable, sure that she would go through with the various weddings… And she never had. Because when it came down to commitment, _true _commitment, she perhaps _wasn't_ the best.

"Haymitch." she called, a little uncertain.

His mouth had reached her plain bra, though, and while she was a little ashamed to be seen in underwear that were _nothing _pretty or sexy, he didn't seem to mind it overly much. He nuzzled her breasts, kissed each of them in turn and started pushing the cup down, his thumb bumped into her hardened nipple, sending a jolt of desire straight down…

She didn't _really_ want to stop him.

Sex, to her, had always been an easy thing. She was completely at ease with her body, confident in it. And she had been taught early on that her sexuality was a weapon best exploited. It hadn't always been good but she didn't care about that as much as she probably should.

She had no doubt Haymitch _would_ make it good.

The thing was, she also doubted sex with him would be as meaningless as she was used to.

_Be sure_, Chaff's voice kept reminding her.

She didn't want to break Haymitch's heart and, for all his protests that he was old and bitter and didn't have a heart to break, she knew it was exactly what would happen if it all became too much for her and she panicked and fled later on.

Sex _felt_ like a commitment with him.

"Haymitch." she said more firmly, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. She wasn't certain at which point she had half unbuttoned it but his shirt hung loose around his torso and it was only kept in place by the row of buttons from midriff downward.

He placed another kiss on her breast with a frustrated groan and moved back up, clearly intending to kiss her. He stopped when their eyes met.

His grey eyes were almost dark with lust and it made her want this even more. Why was she stopping it? She wanted it. They _both_ wanted it. And once it would be out of their system perhaps…

She wanted to do the right thing more than she wanted an orgasm, the sensible voice in her head reminded her.

She wanted to be sure she wanted to _commit_ before they had sex. She felt a jolt of panic at the thought of wedding dresses and churches and what not and forced herself to _not_ be stupid. _Not that kind _of commitment. Simply… Being sure she wasn't staying with them out of desperation, that she _wanted_ to stay, that she wanted to build something _real_…

"Too much?" he asked, his voice rough.

It was on the tip of her tongue to answer _not enough_ and to tug him back down on her but…

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath… It didn't help that she could feel his hardness against her thigh. Her body was very interested in it. It _wanted_ it buried deep inside.

"Chaff is right." she whispered. "I do not have the best track record with men and I do not want to add you to a list of men I would have accidentally humiliated. I want to… I want to be sure I won't run for the hills in a week before we… take it further. I don't want to hurt you."

He studied her for a moment and then rolled off her to glare at the ceiling.

"_Chaff_…" he muttered. "…should really mind his own business."

"I'm sorry." She rolled on her side, reached for his shoulder tentatively, her face pleading. "I _want _to. I _do_. I just worry that…"

"Hey, _no_." he scoffed, turning his head to frown at her. "You _don't_ say sorry to me 'cause you don't wanna _fuck_. Ever." He rolled his eyes. "All the more so when you're being all noble and _shit_, worrying about _my_ _feelings_." There was a mocking edge to his words, as if she was being a little ridiculous, but he softened it by linking their fingers together. "The no sex thing yet… Doesn't mean we can't fool around, yeah?"

She chuckled. "No, we can definitely fool around. Fooling around is actually encouraged."

"Okay." He shrugged. "Then I can live with that."

"It is not forever." she promised.

"Course not." he snorted. "You can't resist me."

She laughed, whacking his shoulder in protest. "_I _can't resist you? You are always watching me like you are _particularly_ hungry…"

"I am." he conceded. "But I can hold off. You're gonna beg for sex first."

"Oh, is that a bet, then?" she grinned.

"Seems like it." He smirked and leaned in, kissing her slow, tilting her head up just so he could drop a series of feather-soft kisses down her throat, tugging her sweater back down to cover her chest in the same move… "You take the time you need to sort your head out, yeah?" he said gently when she expected a joke of some sort. "I can wait. There's no rush."

He planted another kiss on her lips and then left her bed.

She wanted to ask him to stay, if only to sleep, but she knew there was no way they wouldn't do more than sleep if he lied back down next to her…

* * *

_Soooo... They kissed and almost did it! hahaha who wants to thank Chaff for putting ideas in Effie's head? How do you think it will go with the sister? How long will they manage to hold on before Effie caves and decides she wants to commit? Let me know your thoughts! _


	10. White Horses & Golden Carriages

**Chapter 10: White Horses & Golden Carriages**

* * *

Effie hadn't realized how much she had missed the city until she walked down its streets again, breathing it in. The background noises were almost aggressive after a week of staying in an isolated country house but, to her, it was simply _home_ and she was smiling like an idiot as she made her way toward the cozy cafe Lyssa had agreed to meet her at.

She burrowed into the black woolen sweater she had borrowed from Haymitch again, thinking she should save enough money to buy a coat – or maybe visit a thrift store and see if she could find a cheap one – because the weather was really taking a turn. October was slowly but surely dying and it was becoming too cold to walk around in a makeshift cocktail dress made out of scraps from a wedding dress.

She spotted Lyssa immediately. She had taken a seat outside the cafe despite the fact they would have been more comfortable inside – but, she supposed, that was also a subtle way to convey the meeting would be short.

Her sister looked radiant as usual in a light green coat doubled with white plushy fleece on the inside, open on a sky blue dress impeccably tailored to flatter her figure. Her glossy dark blond hair was up in a complicated bun and there were expensive Gucci sunglasses on her nose even though they weren't really necessary in the gloomy afternoon light.

As usual – even more so perhaps – next to her sister Effie felt inadequate, and not only because of the cheap make-up or the fact she had sewed her dress herself.

"Hello, dear." she greeted cheerfully, as if nothing was amiss.

Lyssandra pursed her lips, giving her a long glance over. "You look dreadful." It seemed to soften her up a little and she slipped her sunglasses off, stood up and kissed her on the cheeks. "What are you wearing? Is that… Is that your _wedding dress_?"

"I had to… _improvise_." Effie dismissed, waving a hand in the air but careful not to let her get a good glimpse at her fingers. Her manicure had suffered from all the sewing she had been doing and one of her fake nails had fallen off. She was planning on finding some cheap nail polish before she joined Haymitch back at Katniss' doctor. "Did you manage to get what I asked for?"

Lyssa drummed a finger on the table impatiently, looking around until she caught a waiter's eyes. She ordered two coffee without asking Effie what she wanted and then reached under the table for a heavy looking Louis Vuitton pink travel bag.

Effie lifted her eyebrows, surprised. "I thought Mother gave everything away?"

"Mother is furious and _rightfully_ so." Lyssa chided. "I saved what I could while she was not looking, which you will _never _tell her."

Effie hastily unzipped the bag and glanced inside. It was crammed full with various things that had clearly been grabbed at random. She spotted her favorite red lacy bra, a silky pair of pajamas shorts, a bottle of perfume, her ivory hairbrush and matching hand mirror, and, at the very bottom, taking up most of the space, her music box full of useless mementoes that she was so happy to see her eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Lyssa… Thank you!"

Lyssandra shrugged casually but the rigidity of the gesture told Effie she was actually pleased.

"I managed to grab your purse too. You left it at the hotel." her sister said, sliding her favorite golden purse across the table. It was small and didn't contain much aside from her wallet, her phone, a packet of cigarettes – for emergencies – a lighter, a crimson lipstick she immediately applied and a few mints. "Your phone won't work anymore and Father had all your credit cards blocked so…" Lyssa winced. "I have some cash for you, though, Rufus won't notice."

Her sister was still rummaging in her own purse when the waiter brought the coffee they had ordered.

"I do not need your money." Effie refused, shaking her head. "Thank you. I have a job now."

"A job?" Lyssa repeated as if the word was _utterly_ foreign. She put her purse aside and frowned. "What sort of job?"

"I work as a seamstress." she offered.

"Oh my god, Effie!" her sister gasped, putting a hand in front of her mouth as if she had said the _most_ shocking thing. Concern flashed on her face. "This is entirely _silly_. Do you know, I am _sure_ Mother would forgive you if you just came home and apologized and promised to sort it out with your fiancé…"

"He is _not _my fiancé anymore." she snapped. "And I will _certainly_ _not_ do any of that." She sighed. "It is not as terrible as you imagine. It is actually… _quite nice_. I enjoy it a lot."

Lyssa was staring at her as if she had grown a second head. "Where have you been staying? I have been _worrying myself sick_ imagining you sleeping in the streets…"

"With… friends." she hesitated. For all Lyssa had supposedly been worried, she had still waited a whole week to take her calls.

"Which friends?" Lyssandra frowned. "Mother tried them all." She tilted her head to the side, her features hardening. "She said she saw you run away with a man. Are you staying with him?"

She hesitated even more.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Lyssa but she did not trust her _not _to report back to their mother and she didn't want Haymitch and the girls caught in what would eventually become an ugly fight. Because she was certain of one thing, Elindra Trinket may have disowned her for now but at some point she would remember that her favorite hobby was to micromanage her life.

Her hesitation was answer enough, it seemed, because Lyssa huffed in anger. "You _are_! Was this all planned, then? Is he your lover? Was he waiting for you? Did you create that _horrible_ scandal on purpose just to _humiliate_ us?"

"Oh, _please_." Effie scoffed. "I was the one being offered on a platter in exchange for money."

"Do not be tacky." Lyssa rebuked, wrinkling her nose. "You put Father in trouble, you know. He had to soothe a lot of ruffled feathers."

"I am _absolutely_ sorry if refusing to sell myself to Father's potential customers put the family business in jeopardy." she deadpanned.

Lyssa clearly wasn't seeing what was funny.

"Is your lover putting those ideas in your head?" she snapped. "This is _ridiculous_. You could have kept him on the side. Why, if you had only married Seneca…"

"Seneca is gay." she cut her off.

Lyssa gaped at her for a moment because this certainly wasn't the sort of things you said in polite society.

Like the fact that Effie herself sometimes liked girls, it was glossed over.

More stupid rules that she was glad to be freed of.

"_Nevertheless_." Lyssa huffed. "You could have had a perfectly sensible arrangement and be very happy."

She almost asked her if that was what she and Rufus had: an arrangement. She couldn't really see her sister in an open marriage but what did she know ?

"I _am_ very happy." Effie retorted.

"With a ruffian from who knows where who makes you work as a seamstress?" Lyssa scoffed. "No doubt that man thought he could take advantage of your relations or even of your money… You are being manipulated…"

"He is the first honest man I have ever met." she argued. "He… He has two girls…"

"Yes, Mother mentioned seeing children." Lyssa pursed her lips. "Is that what attracted you to him? The chance of playing house?"

Effie recoiled, it wouldn't have hurt more if she had slapped her. "That was uncalled for."

"No." Lyssa countered. "What was uncalled for was the scene you created at your own wedding and the fact that you haven't been around to weather the storm. Mother is _beside herself_. We are an object of _ridicule_. And all because you chose to be childish once again instead of acting like a responsible adult."

"You made your feelings very clear." Effie snapped, grabbing the bag and her purse. "Thank you for bringing me this."

She stood up, intending to storm off but Lyssa was quicker and blocked her path, her face suddenly pleading. "Come home, with me, Effie. I will talk to Mother and Father with you. We will convince them to forgive you and then you can marry Father's friend as planned and it can all go back to how it was before…"

She shook her head. "I do _not_ want to go back. I… I know it is hard for you to understand but… I am actually _happy_ right now." She wrapped her sister in a loose embrace that shocked her a little because they _never_ hugged. "I will call you."

She left before Lyssa could recover from her shock.

She wandered around familiar streets, looking at the shop windows without really registering much. She felt weird after seeing Lyssa. As if her past was already a distant memory…

She met Haymitch and Prim in front of Katniss' doctor building as agreed. They were already waiting and they didn't notice her at first. Haymitch was holding Prim's hands and there seemed to be a very serious game of jumping going on. She effortlessly slid next to them. Prim beamed when she saw her and hugged her tight.

"I missed you." the girl said, digging her little pointy chin in her thigh.

"I missed you too." Effie replied, lifting her up to cuddle her which Prim was only too happy about.

"Went well?" Haymitch asked, a little warily. He still feared she would take off with her sister then.

"As expected." Her voice was flat and it seemed to be all the clues he needed to get to his own conclusion because he nodded and grabbed the travel bag from her without even a word about it being pink. "Shall we go get Katniss? What is in store for the rest of the afternoon?"

"The carousel." Prim informed her cheerfully.

Doctor Aurelius was pleased with Katniss' progress that week. Katniss was even more pleased to be released.

They made their way to the park, Prim hopping next to Effie, clinging to her hand, and Katniss sticking close to Haymitch, a little sullen. A regular occurrence after a session, he told Effie privately.

He bought them all hot chocolate and pastries from a stand and the two of them eventually sat on a bench while the girls ran to the carousel with its white horses and golden carriages.

Effie sipped her chocolate slowly, appreciating the warmth of the paper cup in her hands. She was sitting closer to Haymitch than was probably proper but she was enjoying his body heat against her side. It really was starting to get cold.

"What's in the bag?" he asked eventually, after waving back at Prim who was delighted on her horse. Katniss still looked like she was a little sad but every time her sister looked in her direction, she forced a smile.

"Mementoes, mostly." she hummed. "Whatever Lyssa could save from my Mother's wrath." She paused for a moment, letting a teasing smile stretch her lips. "My favorite red bra."

Haymitch's paper cup froze on its way to his lips before it resumed its course.

"I like your sister." he declared.

Effie laughed, maybe a little bitterly. "You would. Everyone loves Lyssa." She took another sip of hot chocolate. "I am not sure she would like you though. She disapproves my behavior _most_-_heartedly_. She tried to convince me to come back and get married.

"You shouldn't." he said at once and then winced. "Don't mean 'cause I want you to stay." She frowned and he winced harder. "I _want_ you to stay, that's not what I'm…" He rolled his eyes. "Look, that guy you were gonna marry… When Chaff did his background check on you he found bad stuff about him. He _really_ ain't a good guy."

"Oh, I am aware." she sighed. "He is the sort of man who thinks money buys everything. Even a pretty young wife. No doubt he will have replaced me by now."

"He hurt women before." he insisted. "It was in the file. Charges have all been dropped, of course…"

"Of course." she commented and then waved her hand. "Let's not talk about him. He isn't worth it and it will spoil the afternoon. I am not going back, that much is decided."

He lifted both eyebrows, watching her. "Is it?"

There was something hopeful in his gaze.

She wanted to kiss him but, with all the parents mingling around them watching their kids and the girls on the carousel, she didn't dare.

"I still want to take it slow." she answered.

"Slow works for me." He shrugged and then snorted. "Yeah, no, it's not working for me. But I can make do."

He waved his hand and wiggled his eyebrows and she couldn't help it, she laughed again.

"_Crude_." she chided.

"But _so_ true." he mocked. There was a brief pause in the conversation because the carousel stopped and the girls came running back. They didn't ask but Haymitch gave them a few coins to buy two more tickets. When they were safely out of earshot, he nudged her arm. "You're telling me you're not doing it?"

She flushed crimson. She wasn't a prude about sex but there were places to talk about that and a true lady certainly wouldn't discuss it in the middle of a public park. And she certainly wouldn't admit to what Haymitch was hinting at.

Effie, however, had always been bad at being the lady her mother wanted her to be.

She leaned close enough that he would feel her breath against his ear.

"I do like picturing your hands on me…" she purred.

He swallowed hard, took a compulsive drink out of his cup and cleared his throat. "Should have known teasing you'd backfire…"

She chuckled but rested her head on his shoulder, happy to watch the girls go round and round.

There were worse ways to pass the time.

* * *

_The caroussel goes round and round... Did you like this chapter? Will Lyssa keep Effie's secret or spill the beans? Will that red bra ever be put to use? Can Haymitch be any cruder? Let me know your thoughts!_


	11. The Oncoming Storm

**Chapter 11: The Oncoming Storm**

* * *

The tension in the house was thick enough to be cut with a knife.

Effie was in the kitchen, aggressively sewing the last in an impressive pile of children costumes – Halloween was close and Prim and Katniss had gushed so much about the costumes Effie had made them at school that she had faced a crowd of parents eager to purchase one for their own child – a still steaming mug of tea on the table in front of her. The tea wasn't the only thing that was steaming in that kitchen.

Saying she was furious would have been a _nice_ understatement.

She could hear the faint buzz of the TV in the living-room where Haymitch and Prim were watching cartoons and, if she strained her ears, she could also hear Katniss pacing upstairs in her room, no doubt still fuming too. The weather wasn't helping the general mood either. It was cloudy from a drizzle that didn't show sign of abating any time soon, it was cold and too dark for early afternoon. She was straining her eyes trying to work on that pirate outfit. If it were any other day, she would have relocated to the living-room where there were bigger windows but she didn't want to face Haymitch just yet, not when they had been screaming at each other for a whole hour.

Bickering had been a part of their relationship ever since they had met. But _bickering _was fun and almost a flirtation. Whatever had happened earlier…

Haymitch had a bad temper but he rarely lost it – for the girls' sake mostly.

She probably should have found the whole thing scary but the angrier he had gotten, the more it had stroked her own fury. The fight had been violent. Haymitch had been defensive and aggressive in turn, clearly triggered by what he perceived to be her threatening _meddling_…

She batted away the tears of irritation and focused more on the fabric she was sewing.

She had _just_ wanted to help. Yes, she had gotten angry but it was because she was worried not because…

"Effie?"

She raised her head and looked at the blond little girl standing on the kitchen's threshold, clutching her stuffed cat against her chest. She forced herself to smile as if nothing was amiss. _Prim_ had done nothing wrong. "Do you need something, darling?"

Prim looked smaller than usual and certainly more uncertain.

Effie and Haymitch had kept to separate rooms after they had finished yelling but she had glimpsed the child snuggled against her uncle's side on the couch when she had walked past the living-room. She wasn't sure if the girl had been seeking comfort or trying to provide it.

"Are you going to leave?" Prim whispered, her lips wobbling a little.

Effie frowned and immediately put her sewing aside, patting her lap. It didn't take much more to entice Prim to run to her and climb on her knees. The girl hugged her for dear life and she hugged her back, smoothing her loose blond hair back. "What are you talking about? Of course, I am not leaving…"

Although she _could_ now, she supposed. She had made enough during the last couple of weeks to be able to afford a hotel for a few nights… If she had _really_ wanted to leave…

"But you're angry at Katniss…" the girl replied a little reproachfully, her loyalty clearly torn.

"I am not angry with your sister, I am just…" She stopped mid-sentence, took a deep breath and let it out. "I just got scared she would hurt herself."

This was all so stupid…

She had believed Katniss' bow was a toy. She hadn't realized it was an _actual _bow with _actual _arrows. The girl had played with it countless times in the weeks Effie had spent with them but it wasn't until that morning that she had noticed it was real and… She had felt like a fool for failing to realize earlier and when she had confiscated the bow and Katniss had run to Haymitch to complain… Well, she had thought Haymitch wasn't aware either because _who would allow an eleven year-old girl to play with a weapon? _Chaff and Haymitch apparently, that was who.

She had stood her ground even when Haymitch had explained Katniss was responsible enough and was used to it from _before – _before Haymitch had taken her in, when she had needed to do whatever she needed to do to take care of Prim – and that it wasn't a problem. She had still refused to give the bow back, arguing that Katniss could get hurt, that _Prim_ could accidentally get hurt, refusing to listen when Katniss claimed she never missed a shot… Katniss had gotten upset and had started shouting at her, Effie had refused to give in to the tantrum, Haymitch had taken the girl's side… It had all escalated from there.

She supposed Haymitch had perceived her upsetting Katniss as a threat and had reacted in consequence. Besides, she _had _questioned his parenting methods because, _really, _allowing her to play with arrows at her age… Why not give her a _gun_ while he was at it? She had asked that plainly and Haymitch had gotten so angry…

They shouldn't have argued in front of the children, probably.

Katniss had stormed off halfway through – when it had become clear she was _not _going to get her bow back because Effie refused to say where she had hidden it – but Prim had stood there through it all, shocked and clutching her stuffed cat… Prim was the reason Effie had come back to her senses and had told Haymitch to go take a walk – and there would have been hell to pay about _that _demand if he hadn't caught sight of the girl too. When he had come back from a brief stroll outside, he had settled on the couch with Prim to watch cartoons without a word for her.

And Effie had retreated to the kitchen to make herself some tea, desperate for a cigarette she wouldn't allow herself.

"I don't want you to go." Prim insisted, pressing her face into her shoulder. "_Please_."

Distraught to see her so upset, Effie held her tighter, dropping what she hopped to be soothing kisses on top of her head. "I am not going anywhere. I _promise_."

Not unless Haymitch kicked her out, at least.

Prim was silent for a little while. Effie rocked her gently, propping her cheek against her head.

"Uncle Haymitch is sad." she whispered.

Effie pursed her lips. "Uncle Haymitch is _not_ sad, he is angry because he is being a _stubborn_ _old_ _mule_. It will pass."

Prim shook her head. "No. He's sad 'cause he thinks you're leaving. I asked him if you were and he said he didn't know." She paused and sighed. "Maybe he's a bit angry too."

"Well, I am _not_ leaving." she insisted. "You can tell him that."

The girl drew back, her piercing blue eyes far too wise for a six year-old. "You should kiss him. He's more happy when you kiss him."

She blinked, forgetting to correct her grammar, taken aback by what she was saying. "How do you know about the kissing?"

They had been _very_ careful to keep that away from little prying eyes. They didn't want to confuse the children.

Prim smiled and it lit up her whole face. She giggled.

That was all the answer she got.

"Oh, this is how it is then, isn't it?" Effie pretended to frown. "You won't answer my questions? Be ready for the consequences…"

Prim was extremely ticklish. In seconds, she was roaring with laughter and shrieking, twisting and wriggling on her lap, trying to escape Effie's fingers…

Predictably enough her screams summoned her overprotective family.

Haymitch reached the kitchen first, grabbing the doorframe to stop himself from actually _barging _inside, his eyes wide… Katniss' mad dash down the stairs was perfectly audible over the loud sound of Prim's begging for her to stop and when the girl sneaked past her guardian's legs, ready to jump on whoever was hurting her sister, she was out of breath and equally panicked.

They both relaxed at the same time when they realized what was going on.

Effie pretended she wasn't hurt they would think she could make Prim scream in anything but laughter, knowing their reaction stemmed from deeper problems than a lack of trust. The girl eventually wriggled off her lap and scampered to hide behind Haymitch's legs.

"You can't get me now!" Prim taunted, all giggles and delighted hiccups.

"Cannot I?" Effie challenged, standing up to round on them… She met Haymitch's eyes for a moment, searching for _something_. The anger had faded from his gaze at some point and, even though it was obvious they needed to have a serious discussion, he looked like he always did – _if_ a little sorry. "But perhaps I can get your sister!"

Katniss hadn't been prepared to be dragged into their improvised game and she didn't bolt away in time. She wasn't as ticklish as Prim but Effie's light fingers found their target and the girl was soon laughing and trying to get free from her loose embrace.

Prim was shrieking for Haymitch to help Katniss and then shouted in betrayal when Haymitch turned against _her _and tickled her…

Effie had never done something that undignified with her own family but she was soon laughing too. At least until Katniss managed to wrestle her on the floor somehow. With an eleven year-old sitting on her stomach, all she could do was twist and turn to escape the probing fingers that were trying to tickle her.

"All on Effie!" Katniss ordered.

"No, no, no!" Effie tried to protest but Prim had already sneaked out of Haymitch's grip and soon her little hands were running down the side of her neck while Katniss took her sides… She shrieked and tried to wriggle away but Katniss' weight pinned her down. Eventually, she found Haymitch's gaze who was standing right there with his arms crossed in front of him, a smirk on his lips… "Aren't you going to _help_?"

She knew she had made a mistake when his smirk deepened and an amused twinkle appeared in his grey eyes.

"Sure." he said, drawing the syllable out. "I'll help."

Before she knew what was happening, he was crouching next to her legs and his fingers tickled the underside of her knees.

Now, _that _was cheating.

She howled with laughter, thrashing against the girls to get free because unlike them _he _knew how to be effective with his tickles… Eventually, Katniss lost her balance and collapsed on the floor next to her, Prim immediately switched targets and jumped on her sister… Effie used the sudden freedom to turn against Haymitch who, realizing the tide had turned, lifted both hands in front of him…

"Now, sweetheart…" he protested but he didn't have time to say anything more, she grabbed him with a war cry and slipped her hands under his sweater to better reach his sides…

He wasn't ticklish at all but she didn't let that stop her. Mostly, she enjoyed the way he wrapped his arms around her in a mock attempt at getting her to stop. It wasn't effective but she didn't think it was meant to be.

The girls seemed to realize she was struggling and jumped in to help. Prim dangled from Haymitch's shoulders, bringing him down, Katniss tugged on his arms to free Effie… The confused battle devolved into a game of getting him to release Effie by any means possible…

He wasn't keen on letting go.

After, once Effie had called a breathless stop to the hostilities, she made hot cocoa for everyone and they drank it in the kitchen. Prim was the only one who looked utterly happy though; Effie, Katniss and Haymitch kept tossing each other awkward looks.

Eventually, Effie decided she needed to be the mature one because, _clearly_, nobody else was going to be.

She dragged her chair closer to Katniss and gave a gentle tug on the braid she had done herself that morning. "Are you still angry with me?"

The girl pouted, her grey eyes a little uncertain when she glanced at her. "I'm not angry."

"Good." She smiled. "Because I was not angry with you either. I simply got scared. Can you understand that?"

She was aware Haymitch was staring at her, following the conversation with rapt attention, ready to intervene if she upset the girl again.

"Why?" Katniss frowned. "I wasn't gonna shoot you."

Effie licked her lips, trying to choose her words wisely. "Because it is dangerous, darling, and you are too young to be using any sort of weapons. I was not scared you would shoot me." Although now that she thought about it perhaps she _should _have been. "I was scared you would hurt yourself or your sister."

"But I _never_ miss." Katniss insisted, rolling her eyes as if Effie was being particularly aggravating. "Ask Haymitch. I _never_ miss."

"It only takes one accident." she replied calmly.

The girl was getting agitated again and she tossed Haymitch a pleading look. "But I love shooting! And Uncle Chaff got me the best bow… It's my size and everything!"

"And I am not saying you cannot shoot anymore." Effie argued even though the concession cost her. If she had had her way there wouldn't have been _any _shooting in the near future. "But perhaps we could find you an archery club?"

"Already looked." Haymitch grumbled. "There aren't any close by." He sighed and turned the mostly empty mug in his hands. "She does know how to shoot, Princess. I've never seen her miss a target. It's safe enough."

She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at Haymitch. "_Safe enough_ does not cut it for me. Very well, then I _insist _you practice only under supervision."

"What does that mean?" Prim asked with a frown, confused by the big word.

"It means with an adult present." Effie explained. "With Uncle Haymitch or Uncle Chaff since he enabled this." She made a face and amended. "Or me if they are unavailable. Can you live with that, Katniss?"

Katniss rolled her eyes. "I _guess_."

"Good." Effie grinned, wrapping her arm around the girl's shoulders in a side hug. "I truly would _hate_ for anything to happen to you, you know? I am just… I just do not want you to get hurt."

Katniss glared at her for a moment but relented and leaned into the hug a little.

"You're supposed to be mothering Prim, not me." the child muttered under her breath.

"Humor me." Effie requested. "I love you too, I cannot help it."

"Fine." the girl grumbled but she sounded strangely pleased under the irritation and she completely relaxed against her side.

They finished their cocoa in a lighter mood. The girls were talking about playing some board game and Effie wasn't really surprised to see them dash upstairs as soon as Prim had finished her mug.

"Don't run in the house!" she shouted after them – a rule she was _unsuccessfully _trying to implement. She shook her head and then gathered the empty mugs to drop them in the sink.

She wasn't quite surprised either when she felt tentative hands at her waist. Haymitch's presence always felt massive behind her. He was taller and broader and he just had that kind of presence that commandeered attention. Every time he stood behind her, she felt as if she could melt into him and be assured she would be perfectly safe for the rest of her life.

It was also painfully clear he wasn't sure how to go from there, once she didn't bat his hands away, because he cleared his throat a few times but didn't seem to be able to decide what he wanted to say.

She let him stew for a whole minute before finally putting him out of his misery, making sure her voice was light and cheerful.

"Prim is of the opinion we should kiss and make up." she declared.

She could almost feel his relief like a physical thing. He bowed a little toward her nape with a shaky exhale, his fingers dug a little deeper in her waist…

"She's a clever girl." he commented.

She wanted to keep the banter alive a little longer but he spun her around and, before she could so much as gasp, his lips were on hers. The kiss was soft, almost hesitant, a wordless apology in itself.

She locked her arms around his neck and kiss back a little harder, humming in satisfaction when he opened his mouth to deepen it. The hands on her hips lifted her up so she was sitting on the kitchen's counter. Her legs fell open and he stepped between them, the tips of his fingers running down her thighs in a light caress…

Because they had that sort of luck, they were interrupted by a sharp round of knocking on the back door.

Haymitch drew back with a frown and glared at the door as if it had personally insulted him.

He looked so much like a little boy about to throw a tantrum that she couldn't help some giggles.

"Come in." she called, hopping off the counter, thinking it must be Chaff – Chaff had learned to announce himself when he came into the house or a room they were alone in – but it _wasn't_ and she gasped. "Sae! You should have called! Did you _walk _all the way here in that weather?" She hurried to the old woman and steered her toward the table so she could sit despite her obvious aggravation at being treated like a fragile old thing. "I would have come and gotten you if you had called! You are _drenched_!"

She fussed over Sae until the woman had taken off her coat and accepted a towel and a hot cup of tea. All the while, the old woman made faces at Haymitch who helplessly shrugged back at her as if to say it was better to let her have a way.

Still, Effie thought, there was a gleam of approval in the old woman's eyes and for all her grumbling she seemed to enjoy being fussed over.

Effie _quite_ liked her. She was practical, down to earth, and she had sent a lot of customers her way. They had seized each other up the first time they had met and, if she wasn't mistaken, they had recognized a kindred soul in each other.

"You _should_ have called." Haymitch scolded her once Effie had done everything she could to make sure the old woman was comfortable. "I'd have given you a lift."

"I ain't that old that I can't trek all the way here, boy." Sae grumbled. "A little rain won't stop me."

"Well, it _should_." Effie huffed, clucking her tongue. "What if you get sick?"

Haymitch's expression was a mix of amusement and fondness. "Don't mind her. She's in a mother hen mood today. Should have come an hour ago… You missed quite the fight. She stole Katniss' bow."

Sae frowned. "That girl never misses."

"Yeah, that's what we've all been trying to explain." Haymitch snorted.

Effie pursed her lips and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I will _not _have _my_…" She faltered to a stop and cleared her throat. "It is dangerous and the idea of her getting hurt makes me _sick_. If you could _all_ just understand _that_…"

Annoyed with Sae for not taking her side, she turned around and rummaged in a cupboard in search of an imaginary thing.

"Like I said…" Haymitch mocked but his tone had softened. "Mother hen."

"The kids can use some of that." Sae declared. "So can _you_, for that matter. She's a good girl, don't be hard on her, Haymitch. She'll learn our ways soon enough." Effie blinked in surprise and stopped her pretence search to walk back to the table, unable to hide her smile. _At last_, an ally. Sae was shaking her head at him. "Only you can steal a girl in a wedding dress from the streets and make it work…"

"He did not steal me." Effie protested, sitting down next to him. "If anything _I _stole him."

He nodded thoughtfully. "You _kind_ _of_ stole the car."

"Yeah, yeah…" Sae dismissed, waving her hand in the air. "Look… I don't know what kind of trouble you were into, girl…" Effie opened her mouth to defend herself but the old woman didn't give her time to talk. "I just know you're good to my boy and you're good to my girls, so I don't care about the rest."

Effie was strangely moved and nudged the cup of tea Sae hadn't yet touched closer to the woman. "It truly was not _that _much trouble… Nothing outlandish at any rate. I just… I simply could not go through with the wedding and I knew it would be _such_ a huge drama… So I ran away… There is no other big scandal…"

Sae's hands wrapped around the cup. Her fingers were long but slightly knobbly – a worker's hands. "It ain't my business, girl, I mean that. You could be a bank robber, I still wouldn't care… If you're in trouble…"

"She ain't a bank robber, Sae." Haymitch cut in with a small frown. "What are you getting at? Why do you think she's in trouble?"

"Has Hazelle been spreading rumors by any chance?" Effie asked casually. "She truly _doesn't_ like me much."

And the feeling was entirely mutual.

Her youngest daughter was cute, she supposed, but she didn't care for the rest of her brood. Gale was a rude child and the two other boys were hardly any better. As for Hazelle herself, Effie still thought she had her sight on Haymitch.

She wouldn't admit to being jealous because they were _not _in the same league and Haymitch had made his preference clear but…

"There's a man in town…" Sae reluctantly explained, her eyes darting from Haymitch to Effie. "Been asking lots of questions about Effie, all subtle like. Looked like a cop to me but he showed no badge." The woman reached out and covered her hand. "Didn't tell him anything, girl, but he's been asking around. Won't take him long to figure out you live here…"

Effie frowned and automatically looked at Haymitch. "A cop? Why would a cop…"

He shook his head. "If he didn't flash a badge, he ain't a cop."

"I figure I'd come tell you quickly." Sae said. "In case you need to hide or something…"

"Sae, I am _not _in trouble with the law." Effie insisted. "That's _preposterous_."

"Then why is there a strange fellow looking for you?" The woman sounded puzzled.

Effie was too.

"What did he look like?" Haymitch asked.

Sae shrugged. "Nice enough except for all the questions. A bit stiff maybe, like you and Chaff were when you came home…"

"Military?" Haymitch supplied.

"Why would _the army_ be after me?" Effie scoffed. "It is even more ridiculous than me robbing a bank!"

"Might not be after _you_. Might be after _me."_ Haymitch growled. "Did he ask about the girls? About…"

"No, boy." Sae cut him off quickly, patting his arm. "It was all about Effie. Didn't even say her name but I read between the lines, all right. He said he's looking for a friend who might be in town… Pretty girl, reddish blond hair, blue eyes… Might be staying with a guy… Don't think he knows _who_ she's staying with yet…" Her eyes darted to Effie. "Now, Hazelle played dumb too so maybe thank her next time you see her, girl."

Effie breathed out slowly, feeling uneasy.

"P.I." Haymitch said suddenly, sounding a lot calmer now that he was sure the guy wasn't after him. He stood up, briefly squeezing Effie's shoulder. "Let me call Chaff."

"P.I.?" she repeated. "A private investigator? But why… _Oh_." She made a face. "Lyssa must have told Mother, after all. I should have known she wouldn't leave well enough alone." She bit down on her bottom lip. "Haymitch, if my mother figures out I am here… I… She will make your life a living hell until I go home… I do not want you to…"

"Don't get worked up just yet." he ordered, tapping a few numbers on his phone. "Let me call Chaff. With any luck, the guy's one of Coin's and he's a friend of ours. We can still control this."

She hoped so.

She really did.

Otherwise…

Well, the life she had been so patiently building might just crumble to dust.

* * *

_Soooo... Hayffie has different ideas about parenting... What do you think? Effie the bankrobber... The rumors that must be circulating around town... XD Now who's the stranger and will he be a problem? Will people stop cockblocking them? Let me know your thoughts! _


	12. Shelter In Place

**Chapter 12: Shelter In Place**

* * *

Chaff still hadn't called back.

Effie had been resisting the urge to bite down on her nails ever since Haymitch had taken the car to drive Sae back to town. She would have done it – had _volunteered _to do it – but he had argued that it wasn't the smartest thing for her to show her face around town if someone was looking for her. It wouldn't take a good P.I. very long to figure out where she was staying but there was no point making it easier for them.

The storm was getting worse by the second. Lightning struck the sky white from time to time, quickly followed by deafening thunder.

The girls had relocated their board game downstairs a little after Haymitch had left, pretending they wanted to keep warm next to the fire roaring in the fireplace but, Effie suspected, really wanting to be close to an adult. She did her best to smile and reassure them all the while dying from anxiety inside.

She couldn't stop peeking outside the window even though it was really hard to see anything through the downpour, the little visibility and the hour growing late making it even harder. In her mind, she kept constructing ridiculous scenarios where a man in a trench coat and a fedora hat, directly out from a _film noir_, would knock on the door, framed by a timely lightning bolt, and call her by name.

She didn't hear the car engine or the usual honking of the geese because of the storm and the light chatter of the children behind her. She saw the headlights piercing the darkness though.

She had the vague thought that she should run and pick up Katniss' bow from where she had hidden it in the bathroom's cupboard – although what she would do with a bow was anyone's guess. And it was _ridiculous _anyway. Even if the man who was looking for her came knocking… It wasn't like he would _attack _her.

Unless her mother had paid him to bring her back home.

She would _so_ love to think Elindra Trinket was over kidnapping…

The front door opened and closed, Prim shouted a delighted greeting while Katniss demanded to know where Haymitch had been in a sullen voice, even though Effie had already explained that he had been forced to give Sae a lift…

Despite the fact that he probably hadn't been out of the car for more than a few minutes, Haymitch was drenched and so were the take-away boxes he was carrying. He handed them over to Katniss with instructions to put them in the fridge.

"I'm gonna go change." he grumbled, holding her eyes a moment longer than strictly necessary.

Effie waited a few seconds and then told a baffled Prim that she broke a nail and needed her lime – that was obviously upstairs in her bedroom. It wasn't her smoothest lie and it was probably a good thing the girl was too young to know better. She just hoped the children would go back to their board game and not immediately come looking for them so they would have time to talk.

"Did you hear from Chaff?" she asked from the corridor, too impatient to wait anymore. She walked straight into his bedroom without knocking – the door had been left ajar anyway – and stopped dead in her tracks because…

Well, he was bare-chested.

Her eyes were immediately drawn to the huge swollen scar on his right side. He had been toweling his hair but he stopped when her eyes lingered too long on the scar and, as a consequence, his wet hair stuck in different directions… He tensed.

Her gaze darted up, took in what probably used to be a very fit torso but was now in the process of softening from the lack of exercising – not quite unappealing though. No… not quite unappealing _at all_.

A strand of wet hair was plastered to his neck and she couldn't help but follow the path of a drop down his throat, around his nipple and down, down, down to…

"Like what you see, sweetheart?" he teased, relaxing a little.

Her eyes darted back up in time to see his lips stretching into a smug smirk.

She refused to flush.

She lifted her eyebrows, dropping her voice to a seductive purr. "Why, _yes_, as a matter of fact."

He had switched his jeans for the frayed thick pajamas pants he often wore around the house and those hung low enough on his hips that she could see a patch of darker hair disappearing below the waistline and…

They had been playing around their attraction for _so_ _long_ that…

She barely noticed when he tossed the towel on the bed or when he slowly crossed the short distance between them. Her breathing, she knew, was too loud and too fast and she had to curl her fingers into fists to resist the urge of _touching_…

"Problem, Princess?" he mocked when he was standing only a few inches away.

He wasn't unaffected.

The bulge in his pants had grown bigger.

"The children are downstairs." was all she found to say.

"That's not the problem." he countered, clearly amused, taking another step toward her.

"Haymitch…" she whispered when he reached for her cheek.

"Yeah?" He brushed a loose strand of hair back behind her ear and then cupped her face… He leaned in and she drew back a little, fighting hard to keep herself composed. "Effie…"

His tone was half-chiding and half-pleading and she wanted to give in, she wanted to let him kiss her and…

"Let's not start something we won't be able to finish." she reluctantly said.

They had been getting worse and worse at stopping.

The kissing and the making-out had gotten out of hands lately, to the point she wasn't sure why she kept putting an end to it before it grew serious. He had a gift for making her feel… When his calloused palms wandered under her clothes, it was…

_Electric. _

There was a flash of lightning and the lights flickered off and on again.

Haymitch's breaths were slightly labored too. His grey eyes were dark with lust and…

The boom of thunder was loud enough that she could have sworn the house shook on its foundations. It was followed by two shrieks and the hurried racing of soft footsteps on the stairs.

Effie moved away from him on instinct while he went to his dresser to get a shirt loose enough to hide his boner. He barely had time to slip it over her head before Prim came crashing into Effie's legs. Katniss was a little more dignified than that, pretending she had been worried about her sister being scared and yet still sticking very close to them.

"Time for dinner, I guess." Haymitch declared, herding them all back downstairs.

Effie managed to discreetly corner him next to the microwave while the girls were setting plates and cutlery on the table. "Did you see anyone suspicious?"

"Could barely see the road." he muttered back. "Chaff hasn't called me back either."

She pursed her lips but turned the pout into a smile for the children's sake. The food Sae had forced back in Haymitch's hands was as good as usual and, while the girls were nervous because of the storm that showed no sign of abating, diner was a nice enough affair.

Getting them to go to sleep a little afterward was _not_.

Katniss was asleep long before Prim, who kept dragging the bedtime ritual as long as possible, requesting water and stories and cuddles… In the end she dropped from exhaustion and Effie let out a relieved sigh.

"She doesn't like thunder." Haymitch explained, closing their door as softly as he could. He left it a little ajar and made sure to keep the lights in the corridor on so she wouldn't get scared if she woke up.

"That much is obvious." she whispered back.

They made their way downstairs by mutual agreement, because that was what they did almost every night. Haymitch usually read for a while and Effie sewed or sketched random ideas in front of a show she wouldn't truly watch – when they didn't forget themselves and started kissing like there wouldn't be a tomorrow, that was.

They had barely reached the bottom of the stairs when the lights flickered off and remained that way.

"_Shit_ . Must be the storm." Haymitch grumbled. "I'm gonna go check it didn't short-circuit, just in case. Old house, it happens."

Effie immediately grabbed the back of his shirt. "You are _so not_ leaving me alone to go down to the basement."

He snorted. "Don't tell me you're scared of the dark."

"I am _not_." she replied petulantly.

"Good. Cause I need you to stay here in case the girls wake up." he mocked. He headed toward the kitchen and she followed, still gripping his shirt.

The house wasn't pitch dark, not really, and the regular flashes of lightning provided some light but… He rummaged in a drawer until he found a torch that he tested a couple of times for the batteries and then handed her a handful of candles of various shapes and sizes.

"Light those if you want." he suggested. "Stay here. I'll be right back."

"Says everyone in every horror movie before separating and getting themselves slaughtered." she muttered.

He tugged his shirt free of her grip. If he thought she didn't know he had an amused smile on his lips, he was mistaken. She didn't need to see to know it was there.

She fumbled with the candles while he disappeared downstairs, trying and failing to keep her hands steady as she brought the match to the wicks. She had just placed the second candle on the sideboard when she felt a presence behind her. She whirled around, a part of her taking note of the open backdoor and of the rain pouring inside, and _screamed_ when she saw the huge shadow looming over her.

There was a dull sound from the basement, as if Haymitch had knocked himself on something, then a curse, and then a mad dash up the stairs, but Effie kept screaming, reaching behind her for a weapon, _anything_, and when she found nothing she started pummeling her fists on the intruder's chest. The man grabbed her arms. He was trying to say something but she couldn't hear him over the sound of the thunder, her own voice and the blood rushing to her ears.

"What the _fuck_!" Haymitch roared when he barged back into the kitchen.

Instead of rushing the man and getting rid of him, he snapped at her. "_Shut up _before you wake the girls!"

He was so calm and matter of fact that her jaw snapped shut. It wasn't until her aggressor stepped back into the glare of Haymitch's torch that she recognized _Chaff_.

"You scared me to death!" she accused.

"And you blew up my eardrums, so we're even." the man complained, rubbing his ear. "The _fuck_, love?"

Haymitch went around the table to shut the backdoor. He had to struggle against the wind. "She's been jumpy ever since Sae's visit. You got my messages?"

Effie folded her arms in front of her chest, not quite hugging herself. Her heart wouldn't slow down, she could still feel the rush of adrenaline. "I am _not _jumpy. I am just… What about electricity?"

Haymitch shook his head and finished the task of lightning what was left of the stock of candles. "Like I thought. Must be the storm. I bet the town's gone dark too."

"It's cold." she remarked. "We should move to the living-room." Chaff took a step in that direction and she lifted a hand. "_Ah_! _Ah_! Wait. I will get you a towel. And take off your shoes. I am _not_ having you leaving mud tracks all over my house."

She darted to the bathroom – because she didn't trust him to wait as instructed – but she still managed to hear him mutter to Haymitch. "Since when is it _her _house?"

"_Her_ house, _her _kids…" Haymitch mumbled right back. "She's been claiming everything today." He paused and sighed. "It's been _a day_, you know?"

She wasn't sure what _a day_ meant but she supposed he was referring to the fight that had taken place that afternoon – even though it felt like it had happened age ago because Sae's revelation had swept everything under the rug.

_Had_ she been claiming everything?

Perhaps a bit.

She was a little subdued when she walked back into the kitchen with a couple of clean towels, unsure if she had pushed too much. Chaff, mercifully, had listened and taken off his boots. His socks were wet but at least it wasn't mud.

The lady in her insisted she should offer warm beverages but, without electricity, she wasn't keen on figuring out how to manage that, so she sat on the couch, leaving Chaff the most sought after armchair next to the fireplace. After a moment of hesitation, Haymitch flopped down next to her on the sofa. His arm casually stretched on the back, right behind her head. She wasn't sure if it was on purpose or not.

"Did you find anything?" Haymitch asked.

"More like they found me." Chaff snorted. "Barely got your message when Boggs called saying he wanted to meet."

"Boggs." Haymitch repeated without any particular inflection.

"Who is that?" she asked, her eyes darting from Haymitch to Chaff and back.

"He's like us." Haymitch explained with a small sigh, rubbing his face with his free hand. "Ex-military. Decent enough guy."

"He works for Coin now." Chaff added. "He called me 'cause he was on a case in which Haymitch's name turned up. Three guesses as to whose case it was."

Effie frowned. "I thought you were doing surveillance business, not… not _private investigating_."

She wasn't sure exactly what she would define as _surveillance _but…

"Depends of the clients." Haymitch shrugged. "Ain't surprised. Coin's company's the best in this part of the country. It figures your mom would go to them. So? Did you put a lid on it or…"

"Nah." Chaff winced. "Sorry. I tried. He called me as a courtesy. He's already mailed his report to the customer. It's safe to say your mother knows you're here, love."

Well… She had been expecting it ever since Sae had mentionned a private investigator, hadn't she? She swallowed hard, then cleared her throat and pretended she couldn't feel the tears burning her eyes. She was almost glad the lights were off because they couldn't see the desperation on her face.

"I should leave." she breathed out.

Haymitch stiffened in alarm.

Chaff only shrugged. "Boggs's good. He's just gonna follow you wherever you go."

"_Good_." she declared, her voice a little stronger. "Then Mother won't think twice about Haymitch and the girls. I should… I should go pack. I should…"

She tried to stand up but Haymitch's arm slid to her shoulders, trapping her against his side. "Do you _want _to leave?"

"Of course not!" she scoffed. "But…"

She let her sentence trail off, unsure of how to explain.

"You should know…" Chaff cut in awkwardly. "Boggs said your parents asked about retrieval."

"_Retrieval_?" Haymitch growled. "We're in the country not in _fucking_ enemy territory."

So, she hadn't been _that_ far off the mark when she had feared a kidnapping.

"That and Effie's obviously of age and not staying with you against her will, so… Coin gave it a big frank _pass_. There's _retrieval_ and _kidnapping_ and she wants to stay on the legal side of that line." Chaff agreed.

That, however, would _not _stop her mother long.

There were other ways to force her out of hiding.

Effie sighed, pressed her fingers against her lips… "Haymitch, it would be better if…"

"You're not running away." he cut her off. "Not unless you want to go. We ain't letting her win."

Which was all well and good until Elindra Trinket got it in her head to do something dramatic.

"How tight is your guardianship of the girls?" she asked quietly.

The two men looked almost shocked.

Haymitch scoffed in disbelief. "She wouldn't…"

"Oh, she most definitely _would_." Effie interrupted. "She would hurt you to hurt me and she would hurt the children to hurt us both. She wouldn't even _blink_. If I stay…" She licked her lips. "Haymitch, it is not that I want to leave you but… I am trying to…"

"Don't go act all noble and _shit_." he grumbled. "Maybe your mom's got friends in high places but I know important people too." He and Chaff exchanged a look and then he wrinkled his nose. "I'll get in touch with Heavensbee if it comes to that."

"_Plutarch _Heavensbee?" Effie gasped. "How do you…"

"Classified." Chaff answered before she could even finish. "But he owes us one and he likes us." He studied her for a moment in the semi-darkness. "Look, love, I ain't really happy about her potentially messing with the kids but… Haymitch's right. We ain't exactly without friends or resources, here. You just stick with us. We can keep you safe."

"When Aster waved her parental rights to me, I got the best lawyer and made it as tight as it was gonna get…" Haymitch added. "Right now, _she_ wouldn't even be able to get them back without my say so and she's their mom so…"

Her heart was racing.

She wanted so desperately to let them convince her…

"Still…" she insisted. "It would be easier and safer…"

"You never get anywhere in this life by doing the easy or the safe thing…" Haymitch countered. "The only important thing is…" He stopped, sighed and then shrugged. "Stay alive. That's all you can do sometimes. You don't have to go, sweetheart."

"_If_ you want to stay, that is." Chaff tempered. There was a challenge in there. A challenge and a reminder all rolled into one.

Could they hear her frantic heartbeat? She was sitting so close to Haymitch, she was certain he could _feel_ it.

"I _want_ to." she breathed out, her voice raw. "But…"

"But nothing." Haymitch grumbled. "We'll handle your mom when and if we come to it."

"Maybe I'm gonna call Heavensbee anyway, though, yeah?" Chaff suggested. "Just to make sure we don't get any surprise… Preventive strike."

"He is a good friend of Mother's." she hesitated. A powerful man if there ever was one, Elindra had never been able to pass on collecting those.

"Even better." Haymitch approved. "Don't bother, Chaff. I'm gonna call him myself. Make sure that dragon knows what's up."

"Don't call my mother a dragon." she weakly protested.

"Okay." Chaff nodded. "Then, I'll get in touch with Seeder. She's our lawyer." He added that part for Effie's sake. "Damn good one, too. I'm gonna see if she can do something for you legally. Restraining order or something…"

They chatted for a few more minutes and then Chaff said goodnight, heading back to the kitchen to get his boots and leave. Effie followed the motion but was distracted…

She was a bit overwhelmed.

The way they acted, it was like it wasn't _that_ difficult a feat to get rid of Elindra.

She had spent _her whole life _trying to escape her mother's influence.

The only reason she had managed it at all was because of a terrible case of wedding jitters that had drawn her to jump into the first car she had spotted. And there Haymitch and Chaff were, absolutely confident the whole thing could be handled through phone calls and lawyers and…

She startled when Haymitch placed a hand on her shoulder and she realized, belatedly, that Chaff was gone. She thought she could hear the rumble of his car but it might have been the storm. They should have asked him to spend the night, it probably wasn't safe to drive…

"You're okay?" he asked softly.

It had been _a day_ indeed, she mused.

"I want to stay."

She hadn't meant for the words to tumble out of her mouth again but as she repeated them, she realized just how _true_ they were. She had made enough money, in huge part thanks to Halloween, that she could have supported herself for a couple of weeks, found a more regularly paid job, a place to stay… But she didn't _want_ to leave. She didn't want to leave the house and the ridiculous pets and the girls and Haymitch.

She didn't want to…

"Nobody's kicking you out…" he snorted fondly, as if she was being ridiculous.

"No, that's not…" she whispered. She felt something unlock inside her chest. "I want to _stay_."

She had never really been one for commitment but right there, right then…

Their eyes met and it was hard to see in the semi-darkness but she must have managed to convey her meaning because he brushed the back of his hand against her cheek, coiled it around her neck…

She was reminded of earlier, in the bedroom, the surge of _lust_.

She wasn't sure who initiated the kiss but there was nothing gentle or tentative about it. It was _hungry_ and brutal and he immediately walked her back into the wall, pinned her there, his hands searching her body more boldly than he had ever let himself be. It was alright with her, she fumbled with his shirt, struggled with its buttons too long and lost patience, forced it over his head instead…

He grabbed her under the thighs, lifted her up, nestled his hips between her legs…

His mouth was on her neck, hot and possessive…

She felt drunk or high or possibly both.

She wanted this.

She wanted this so badly that she let out a keening sound when he suddenly froze.

His fingers were trembling with the self-control it asked him.

"I'm sure." she said before he could ask the question – because she had always stopped him before it got that far but she didn't want to stop him anymore, she was sure, she was _sure_.

"We spent the whole afternoon fighting…" he pointed out, his voice rough and raw.

"And I am still here." she retorted. "And I still do not want to go. _Fuck me, _Haymitch."

Her unusual vulgarity made him groan.

He tore the clothes off her more than he took them off and she wanted to chide him about that because she didn't have that many but she was too distracted by the strangled sounds he made when she bit down along the length of his neck to properly worry about it.

When she had let herself imagine their first time, she had envisioned a bed and something sweet, tender maybe, drawn out for both of their pleasure…

She probably should have known better.

It happened right against the kitchen wall. It was certainly not sweet, neither of them had the patience to draw it out so it was quick and rough, the release almost too short to be entirely satisfying.

She wasn't _disappointed_ per se but it had felt more like getting it out of their system than actually enjoying it.

He must have been of the same opinion because once he had his breath back, he lifted her up again and carried her up the stairs, careful to miss the creaking step, and eventually dropped her on his bed.

Then he started kissing and exploring every inch of her body so she reciprocated in kind and it was…

That time was better.

Explosive.

_Perfect_.

When he touched her, she felt she could die from bliss.

"Do you believe in fate?" she mumbled afterwards, snuggling into his side under the mess of blankets. For an ex-soldier, he didn't seem to know how to make a bed properly.

His fingers tangled in her hair, his other hand found her arm where it was slung across his chest… She hooked her leg over his hip, seeking his warmth…

"Fate's a _bitch_." he muttered, still a bit out of breath.

"I cannot stop thinking fate brought me to you." she argued. What were the chances of his being parked right there in front of the hotel?

"Poor you." he joked, but his fingers clenched on her arm. "You're sleeping here?"

It sounded hesitant, a little lesssleepy than he had been before…

She frowned because she hadn't thought it was even a question. This wasn't a one-night-stand, was it? This was serious, wasn't it? It was why they had waited so long, for her to be sure of her feelings, for her to be sure she wouldn't run away and leave two broken-hearted girls and a sad man behind.

"Do you want me to go?" she hesitated, her heart racing in her chest.

Had she read the whole thing wrong or was he one of those men who just went back on their promises once the deed was done? She thought she _knew_ him better than that but…

"Nah." He dropped his head against hers, his nose bumping against the crown of her head. "It's just… I've got nightmares sometimes. They can be bad."

"Oh." she breathed out, relieved. She couldn't help the small smile as she pressed a kiss against his shoulder. "For a second, I thought you were trying to get rid of me."

He snorted. "I ain't done with you yet, Princess. Just give me a couple of hours…" She dropped another kiss on his skin at that leering promise, about to suggest she could get him ready again sooner than that, but his tone grew serious again. "The nightmares… It's more like night terrors, really… You know what that is?" She shook her head, a small frown on her face. He started petting her hair but she had the feeling it was more to calm himself down than to soothe her. "It's… _bad_. Lots of screaming. My eyes can be open but it doesn't mean I'm awake, yeah?"

"That sounds awful." She traced soothing circle on his chest with her thumb. "Does it happen often?"

"Not anymore, not really." he sighed. "But the important thing… _Never_ try to touch me when I'm like that, alright? If it starts happening, you get out of bed and as far away from me as you can. The girls know to stay away until I'm good. You need to know too 'cause…"

"You would not hurt me." she scoffed.

That much she was certain of.

"Won't even know it's you." he countered. "Almost stabbed Chaff twice before."

"_Stabbed_?" she gasped.

He shook his head, tightened his hold on her as if he was afraid she would bolt. "Don't sleep with the knife anymore, not since the girls moved in. It's just… I can still be dangerous with my hands. I don't wanna hurt you so… If I wake you up with a nightmare just… Promise, you'll get out of bed?"

"Yes." she answered at once, a little thrown. "Yes, of course."

His body was tensed and he didn't relax in the following minutes. She didn't quite relax either.

"I get it if you wanna go back to your own bed." he offered after a moment. "It's a lot, I get that, sweetheart."

"No." she refused, pressing herself harder against his side. "I want to stay with you. I just… I hate the idea of you suffering like that, it is all. There is nothing I can do to help if it happens?"

He sighed again, trailed his fingers up and down her arm… "You can try to talk me out of it but make sure you're far enough I can't reach you." He nudged her head with his, dropping a kiss on her hair. "Sorry. Ruined the mood. Just want you safe. You sleep with me, you need to know how to stay safe. Even that, I can't _fucking_ do right…"

"Language." she chided. "It will be fine. I never heard you have a nightmare in all the time I've been here."

"Told you." he yawned. "Doesn't happen that often anymore. Just want…"

"To keep me safe." she finished for him, melting against his side. She wasn't sure anyone had ever wanted to keep her safe before. Not like this, at least. "Well, you better get some rest because I have big plans for you."

"Yeah?" he chuckled. "What sort of big plans?"

She hummed, faking the need to think about it. "I do want to suck you off… But, then again, I also want to ride you until I scream… I cannot decide which one I should do first… What do you…"

Her question ended in a shriek that he muffled by placing a hand on her mouth, half-laughing while he shushed her. The sounds of the storm were covering a lot but he didn't want her to wake up the girls and she must admit it would have been awkward to explain.

Then again, she wouldn't have shrieked if he hadn't rolled over her.

She poked his palm with her tongue and he took his hand off only to nuzzle her neck.

"Don't you want to rest a little?" she teased.

"I'm all rested, sweetheart…" he swore, amusement in his voice. "I'm ready to get on with the program…"

She couldn't help but laugh.

She _bet_ he was…

* * *

_soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo they did the nauuuuughty. Also Boggs won't be kidnapping Effie anytime soon so there's that. Next chapter is Halloween... Are you ready to be spooked? Special cameo, next week. _

_I want to know your thoughts! Let me know!_


	13. Spooky Halloween

**Chapter 13: Spooky Halloween**

* * *

Effie loved Halloween.

And, given the muffled giggles behind her, so did the children. Peeta kept pressing his hand on his mouth to stop himself from bursting out with laughter.

The four of them scampered down the stairs, excited to show off their costumes – even Katniss looked forward to seeing Haymitch's reaction – and Effie had the vague though that _this _what was a family should look like. Not the cold silence of her parents' house where no one ever did anything fun together that wasn't a tea party but _this_, a simple desire to _share_ something.

"Are you ready for us?" she called out.

Haymitch audibly snorted from the living-room and she rolled her eyes. He thought she was being very dramatic over the Halloween thing. He had told her so repeatedly since she had insisted they decorated the house. She had no clue – and no real interest – about how to empty a pumpkin so he had been forced to do it but she thought he had quite enjoyed carving them with the three of them. That had really been fun and she was quite proud of the face she had managed to carve on hers. Of course, she and Prim had then gone overboard on the decoration side of things and, truth be told, the house was covered with black and orange paper garlands, false spider webs and various scary plastic skulls, mice and witches.

Katniss and Haymitch had contemplated the final results afterwards and had then shared a heavy look that perfectly conveyed their thoughts: if _that _was for Halloween, what would it be at Christmas?

Well, she was planning to go _all out _for Christmas so…

"Are you ready, Uncle Haymitch?" Prim repeated, almost bouncing in excitement.

This time, he offered a vocal – if amused – answer. "I'm so ready I'm shaking in my boots."

Effie rolled her eyes at the sarcasm but the child didn't notice and sauntered in the living-room, laughing. Effie, Peeta and Katniss followed straight after her.

"What do you think?" Prim asked before he could open his mouth, whirling one way and then the other so he could better admire her costume. "Do I look right?"

"You sure do." he promised, picking her up before she could make herself dizzy. "My little princess…"

"_Fairy_ princess." Prim corrected, with a giggle.

Effie smiled, happy with the dress she had sewed for her. She had used her wedding dress – what was left of it – for the girls' costumes and it did look very good. Prim was a fairy princess, as requested, in a long flowy white dress with a golden crown, wings and a gold wand with a star – that Effie had made out of tinfoil paper and had then painted gold.

As for Katniss… That dress was her masterpiece.

"And what are you supposed to be?" Haymitch frowned. "A bird?"

"She's a princess witch." Prim offered.

"I'm _just _a witch." Katniss corrected. "Who can turn into a bird. Like in the story."

Effie wasn't sure Haymitch knew what story she was talking about but he nodded as if it made sense. "Spooky."

It _was_. She had used the material of her wedding dress to make another smaller one and had then dyed it black. She had also sewed black feathers all over it. With her hair all backcombed and the heavy make-up Effie had applied, she did look quite witchy indeed.

He turned toward Peeta and lifted his eyebrows, offering a mock salute. "Aye, aye, captain."

Peeta looked cute enough to eat in his little pirate outfit and Effie smiled when the boy beamed, adjusting the patch on his eyes that, she was certain, would be removed before long – clearly it was bothering him even though he had insisted on having one.

"Good job." he told her, once he had put the girl down and the three children had scampered off to grab the plastic pumpkin-shaped baskets Effie had procured just for that night. "What are you supposed to be, then?"

She looked down at herself, disappointed he hadn't figured it out. She was wearing an orange long-sleeved shirt and a puffy matching skirt with towering black heels and a little green hat pinned on her curl. She pouted. "I am a pumpkin. Where is _your _costume?"

He snorted. "I'm sorry to burst your bubble, sweetheart, but adults don't _have_ to wear a costume."

Her pout deepened. "It's _Halloween_. You _need_ a costume."

He rolled his eyes but his lips stretched into a smirk and he stepped closer to her. She stepped back until she felt the wall behind her, not at all sorry to be trapped.

"Fine." he granted. "I'm going as the guy whose girl thinks it's fine to walk around dressed like a pumpkin even if she's thirty years old."

His hands came to stay on either side of her head, his palms flat on the wall, but she forced herself to keep her mouth pursed.

"It is a shame you hate costumes so much…" she lamented. "There I went and bought a bunny one for later… Not quite appropriate for trick-or-treating, of course, but I though you would enjoy the ears and the tiny little plushy tail…" His face didn't give much away but she caught the spark of interest in his grey eyes, she caught the way they darkened with lust too. "It _really_ is a shame… The costume comes with slit panties too… And did I mention the corset? Because…"

His mouth crashed on hers and she parted her lips readily, wrapping her arms around his waist…

"When you're done sucking faces, we're ready." Katniss' voice announced in the long suffering tone of the child who had caught their parents – or parental figures, she supposed – kissing one too many times.

They had _tried _to hide from the children but… It wasn't working that well. Not since they had started sleeping together. The problem was that they couldn't keep their hands off each other and stealing kisses every time they could get away with it had become some sort of sport.

Haymitch drew back with a frustrated grunt and tossed a mock glare to the girl who looked definitely unimpressed. "Do you have a radar or something?"

It was true Katniss had a gift for interrupting every time they started kissing or making-out.

Effie pushed him back, not even trying to suppress her smile. "She is right. We should go before all the good candies are out. Katniss, darling, did you make sure Prim had her jacket? It is so chilly I wouldn't want her to…" The sound of the doorbell cut her off and she beamed. "Oh! It must be children!"

She had thought the house was too far from town to get visitors but she had planned ahead just in case. She rushed to the front door, grabbing the bowl of candies – that Haymitch had pilfered from despite her admonishments – on her way. She opened the door, expecting a chorus of 'trick or treat' but found herself face to face with a blond woman in her late thirties who looked just as startled as she was to see another adult.

"Oh, sorry." the woman said. She had a soft voice and tired blue eyes and she was bundled in a duffle coat that seemed a little too much for the weather. Her tone was slightly hesitant too. "You must be Effie? I heard a lot about you."

Effie opened her mouth, unsure what to answer – because she knew the whole town had been talking about her for weeks, she was gossip folder – but before she could say anything more, a canon ball shot past her and straight into the woman. "Mommy!"

The woman crouched down to better hug Prim and pieces finally fell into place.

Effie stepped aside, looking over her shoulder to find Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta hovering hesitantly at the end of the corridor. Haymitch's face had closed into a blank expression that didn't offer much. After a few seconds, Aster Everdeen stood back up, firmly holding Prim's hand and stepped inside, heading toward Katniss with an hesitant smile.

It was clear to Effie she would have loved a hug.

It was also obvious she would not get one.

She closed the door slowly, unable to stop the dread from pooling in her stomach. Her mother hadn't make a move since the whole _P.I. _thing. Haymitch thought they were good because he had called Plutarch Heavensbee who, after speaking with Effie to make sure she was alright, had promised to convince Elindra to leave well enough alone. So far, they hadn't heard from her but…

Effie knew her mother. If she was determined to get Effie back, she _would _do something.

Was _this_ her play?

In the weeks she had spent there she hadn't seen Aster once. The woman had expressed zero interest in seeing her children. So for her to show up right then, a few days only after her mother had sent a PI after her…

Effie was terrified she would try to take the children from Haymitch as a ploy to get her to fall in line.

Because she would comply at the smallest threat on the children's safety – and Elindra must know that. Her mother was always making fun of how soft-hearted she was.

She briefly met Haymitch's eyes over the woman's shoulder. He looked away first, back to Katniss who was not so discreetly leaning into his space.

Aster seemed to get the message and stopped moving forward. The smile on her lips wavered. "Hello, Haymitch. I'm sorry to drop by like that, I just thought… I thought I could take the girls trick-and-treating?"

Prim was still holding Aster's hand, clearly happy to see her mother, but even she frowned a little. "But we were going with Uncle Haymitch and Effie… Look, she's a pumpkin."

Aster glanced at her and quickly looked away, probably feeling awkward. "Oh, yes, of course…"

"But you can come with us." Prim declared and then looked up at Effie, biting on her bottom lip. "Right?"

What could Effie do but force a bright smile on her lips. "_Of_ _course, _darling. Now everyone get their jackets, alright?"

"But it will ruin the costume." Katniss groaned.

"Just in case it gets too cold." Effie insisted. "Haymitch can carry them. If anyone asks why he isn't wearing a costume, we can say he is dressed as a living hat stand."

"Like in _Beauty and the Beast_." Prim approved, nodding.

"Exactly like in _Beauty and the Beast_." Effie snorted, flashing Haymitch a more genuine smile.

He rolled his eyes but didn't protest.

"I'm sorry." Aster said, once the kids had run to get their jackets. "I didn't know you'd have plans… Usually you just watch movies and…"

"It's fine, Aster." Haymitch interrupted, a little too briskly. "They're happy you're here." He took a deep breath, made a clear effort to sound less irritated. "It's good you came. It's been a while."

Clearly, the woman took that as chastisement. "I know. I've been trying a new treatment… It wasn't working out."

From what Effie had gathered, it never _did _work out but she held her tongue.

They set out toward town on foot but the mood wasn't as joyful nor light as it had been before. Prim was the only one who was enjoying herself. She clung to Aster's hand, telling her all about something or other – Buttercup, Effie believed – while the rest of them were deadly silent. Katniss had taken hold of Haymitch's hand even though she wasn't usually that tactile or possessive – she was making a point, Effie mused.

After a while, Peeta shyly slipped his own hand in her own and Effie squeezed it with a smile for the boy who beamed at her. It broke her heart a little. He was such a sweet child, it was a shame his mother was such a witch. As it was, the boy spent more time at their house than he did home and he was clearly starved for affection.

Affection was something that Effie had in spare though.

They stopped at Chaff's house along the way. The door opened and the children yelled _trick_ _or_ _treat _and Chaff bellowed with a fake pirate laugh that matched his outfit.

"See…" Effie hummed, looping her arm around Haymitch's. "Chaff does _not _think he is too old for costumes…"

"He just like the hook." Haymitch retorted, nodding at the very real hook that replaced his missing hand. "Had to convince him he couldn't wear it _all the time_."

Once they had collected _Captain Hook _– who joined Effie in mercilessly mocking Haymitch for not wearing a costume – they headed back toward town. Chaff and Peeta spent the whole trip playing pirates which Effie found both sweet and funny.

Katniss remained sullen and, at some point, ended up trapped between Haymitch and Effie, holding both of their hands like a much younger child. Her face was set in a scowl and she was so deeply _not _enjoying herself that, after they had done a few houses, Effie purposefully held her back from the group, pretending one of her feathers was hanging loose. Katniss didn't really care about her costume but she jumped on the excuse to get some distance from the others.

"What's wrong, darling?" Effie asked, leading her to a nearby bench so she could sit down and be at eye level. She immediately regretted it because the bench was made of metal and it was _freezing_. "Aren't you having fun?"

Katniss' face remained stuck into a sulk as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other and Effie had to resist the urge to tell her that she would get wrinkles if she kept that up.

"It was supposed to be like a real family night." the girl finally muttered.

Effie immediately got her meaning and, if she was truly honest, shared her opinion. Nevertheless, she schooled her features in confusion instead. "We _are _a real family. And now everyone in the family is here to share the fun. Isn't it better that way?"

Katniss watched her as if she wasn't really fooled but looked down at her boots and kicked a wayward pebble. "Prim's happy, I guess."

The understatement that it was all that mattered was clear.

"Your mother just wants to spend some time with you…" she hesitated. "She must miss you very much."

Katniss shrugged. "Then she shouldn't have given us up."

Which was very, _very_ true and not something Effie could easily refute. Or _wanted _to for that matter.

She spotted Haymitch walking toward their bench and relaxed a little because he was much better at handling Katniss than she was.

"Hey." he said, dropping next to the girl. "What's going on?"

He knew what was going on, Effie guessed, but he wanted Katniss to say it in her own words. Doctor Aurelius always said it was important – or so Haymitch had explained, she had met the doctor only briefly.

"Nothing." Katniss lied, clenching her jaw. Her eyes were glistening but she swallowed hard and crossed her arms over her chest.

Haymitch studied her for a moment then glanced at Effie before looking back at the girl. "How about Effie takes you and Peeta to the meadow? Heard they've got some sort of scary maze up there… Too scary for your sister probably so…"

Katniss' face closed even more and the reason why was obvious.

"Oh, I would be _far_ too scared!" Effie gasped. "It would be better if _you_ took them. I will stay with Aster and Prim. I am sure we will have a _lovely_ time."

Some of the tension left Katniss' shoulders but not all of it.

Haymitch picked up on it though. "Yeah. Sure. I can do the scary maze. Think Peeta will be game?"

"Can we bring Uncle Chaff?" the girl hesitated.

"_Hell_, _yeah_." Haymitch scoffed. "If I'm gonna walk through a scary maze, he's gonna do it too."

Katniss glanced at Effie. "And you'll stay with Prim and make sure she's okay?"

It was sad that she didn't trust her own mother to make sure her sister was safe but she supposed it was also understandable. "Of course, darling."

"Alright, then. I guess." Katniss offered with a small shrug but looking a little happier.

Prim, on the other hand, _wasn't _happier once she was told of the change of plans and while she didn't sulk or try to hold her sister back, she was clearly subdue for the rest of the night. It probably didn't help that Effie was extremely ill-at-ease around Aster and that even though she kept a cheerful chatter, it was mostly one-sided.

When they were close to her house, Aster said her goodnight to Prim, asking her to kiss Katniss for her, and then awkwardly shook Effie's hand.

"I'm sorry I ruined the night." she said, softly enough that the girl wouldn't hear.

At that moment, Effie felt more pity than anger. "You did _not_. You should come to lunch, sometimes. The children would love to see you more."

"Maybe." Aster offered but it was unconvinced and she supposed it would be weeks before they heard from her again.

It probably _wasn't _a ploy from Elindra Trinket after all.

Effie and Prim hit another few houses before they joined back with the rest of their group. They dropped Peeta off at the bakery and Chaff wandered off to the bar with a vague excuse about a costume contest…

"He wants to get laid." Haymitch muttered in her ear.

"Yes, thank you." she huffed. "I am not _that _clueless."

He slid an arm around her waist, pulling her into his side to better whisper in her ear. "I wanna get laid too, _bunny_."

The mood he was in, she doubted she would even _get _to put the bunny costume on.

She smiled though and watched the girls as they hopped ahead on the road, swapping candies.

"Don't eat any yet!" she reminded them, worried. "I want to check them all first!"

It might sound overprotective but the stories you heard… She just wanted to be certain they would be safe.

Katniss tossed her a look over her shoulder. She couldn't really tell what the girl was thinking but Haymitch had a pleased smirk on his lips and, once the girl was looking ahead again, he dropped a kiss on her head.

She frowned, confused. "What is it?"

"You're a mother hen." he teased.

"I am _not_." she scoffed.

"Not a bad thing, sweetheart…" he countered after a moment. "Katniss needs some of that."

She could see the large shape of their house looming in the distance and the girls started running in earnest, laughing as they did so. They followed at a slower pace, mostly because Effie wanted to talk to him about something she didn't want the children to hear.

"She was _really _upset earlier." she remarked.

"She doesn't really like spending time with Aster." Haymitch sighed. "She won't let her be alone with Prim, though. She's worried she's gonna forget her somewhere or just straight up dump her."

"Would she?" she hesitated.

Haymitch let out a deep breath. "Don't know. The one time she did give them up, it was to me and she did it the proper way but…" He shook his head. "I don't trust her to be alone with the kids either, not really. I usually tag along when she takes them."

"Prim was younger, she does not remember but… Is it good for Katniss to be forced to spend time with her if she does not want to?" she asked.

"Nobody's _forcing_ her…" Haymitch countered, a little harshly, as if she had doubted his parenting skills.

"You just said she feels compelled to go along for Prim's safety." she insisted.

He made a face. "I don't know. She _knows_ she doesn't _have _to." He shook his head again. "She must really trust you, though. She almost always sticks around when her mother's in charge of Prim… She doesn't always trust _me _to handle it by myself…"

She felt flattered and proud and a little bit sad too. "She told me she had hoped for a family outing tonight. I think she meant…"

"Us, yeah." he cut her off. "I got that much out of her in the maze." He checked his watch. "You know… It's late but let's have some hot chocolate and watch a movie, yeah? They can eat some of the candies once you've checked to make sure nobody's out to poison our kids."

The last part was added in a teasing tone but she pretended not to notice.

She also tried not to preen too much at that possessive pronoun but it was like a ball of warmth had nestled right against her heart…

* * *

_What did you think? Did you enjoy Halloween? Let me know your thoughts!_


	14. A Little Seed

**Chapter 14: A Little Seed**

* * *

Effie smiled as she quickly inspected the candy to make sure none had been previously opened and wrapped back again, half-listening to the happy chatter coming from the kitchen. Prim was helping Haymitch make the hot chocolate and they were apparently on a quest to find the small marshmallows that should have been in the left cupboard but weren't – because Haymitch had no concept of optimizing storage spaces.

Satisfied that nothing had been tempered with, she swiped the candies off the living-room table and back into the two pumpkin-shaped baskets, sparing a thought for Peeta's share that nobody had probably remembered to check. She _should_ have remembered and she had to suppress the urge to call the bakery right away – nobody would appreciate her hysterical phone call in the middle of the night when the candies were all very safe probably.

"Effie?"

She looked up to find Katniss hovering on the threshold, wearing comfortable looking green pajamas. The girl was carrying her make-up remover as well as a package of cotton balls and Prim's pink hairbrush.

"Can you help with the make-up?" the girl asked, hesitant. "I can't get it all."

"Of course!" Effie agreed at once, patting the rug beside her.

It was a bit undignified to sit on the floor but it had been easiest way to check the candies and it was Halloween, concessions had to be made. Katniss didn't hop all the way there like Prim would have done, she dragged her feet a little and then flopped down next to her without much grace. She looked down and played with the hairbrush on her lap while Effie grabbed the make-up remover and got to work.

They both remained silent but it wasn't entirely uncomfortable, not with Prim's regular peals of laughter in the next room as she and Haymitch made a game of hunting the still elusive marshmallows.

"Are you staying forever?" Katniss blurted out suddenly.

Blunt people.

You would think Effie had got used to them but… Not really.

The girl briefly met her eyes and then dropped her gaze back to her lap. "I mean… I'm not stupid I know _forever_ doesn't exist but…"

"I do not plan on leaving, Katniss." she offered when the girl let her sentence trail off. She dropped the cotton ball, figuring her face was clean enough, and gently used the grip she had on her chin to force her to look up at her. "I promise."

It was a potentially dangerous promise to make but she was confident she intended to keep it. It would take a lot to drag her out of the girls' life now. Even her mother's schemes… She felt so very protective of them that she thought she would face an army for them.

Katniss shrugged, clearly ill-at-ease. "It's just… Prim loves you a lot. And Haymitch too. I can tell."

She felt a tingling wave of pleasure slightly mixed with apprehension at the thought Haymitch _might _very well have feelings for her. They weren't there yet. At the awkward confessions that would probably send both of them running in opposite directions.

And it wasn't the point anyway.

The point was _who_ Katniss was so purposefully _not _mentioning.

"I love all of you too." she hummed, taking the hairbrush from her hands and gesturing at her to turn around. Katniss was only too happy to hide her face from her. "I wouldn't leave you for the world."

Brushing the tangled mess of backcombed hair would take a while and skills. It would have worked better on wet hair too so she resolved to do the best she could and leave the rest for the next morning, after Katniss had taken a bath.

"Even if, say… Someone asks you to be a model and you can become really famous?" Katniss insisted.

Sometimes, for how clueless she generally was, that child could be far too perceptive.

"Even then." she said without regrets. The time she would have found that appealing – or even possible – had flown. "I am all yours forever, I am afraid." she teased "You will just have to deal with that."

Katniss snorted, letting out a small grunt when Effie tugged a little too hard on a knot. "It hasn't been too bad… Having you around."

"Why, _thank_ _you_." she deadpanned, more amused than offended. She was well acquainted with Katniss' abrupt manners.

"No, I mean…" the girl hesitated, chancing a glance over her shoulder but quickly looking away again. Effie kept patiently brushing her hair, giving her time to gather her thoughts properly. "I like living with Haymitch better than I liked living at Mom's. It's… easier."

"I would imagine." she muttered before she could stop herself.

When she thought about what Haymitch had told her, what the girls had been through, she still felt angry even if, rationally, she knew it wasn't really Aster's fault. But even now, even after meeting the woman…

"It's better too." Katniss continued, lower. "He's… Prim doesn't remember but we've got a dad already, I don't want him to _be_ our dad… But…" She shrugged. "It feels like that sometimes. Like he's our dad and he's there for whatever and like nothing bad can happen 'cause he's gonna keep us safe, you know?"

She couldn't really relate because _her _father had only been a fleeting presence in her life who had mostly been there to tell her off about her grades and who had insisted on her getting engaged to some of his business partners and friends. It hadn't been all bad, of course, but she struggled to remember any _fun _they had ever share. As for making her feel _safe_… Yes, she supposed. When she was a little girl. That comfort had been far and few in between though.

Katniss didn't seem to need a verbal answer from her because she kept talking, her voice betraying how awkward she found the topic. "It's a lie, though. I know bad things can still happen. Bad things happened to my dad. The real one."

"Life is not always fair. The odds are not always in our favor." Effie commented and then winced because who said that sort of things to a child? Even one who was older than her years?

"Yeah. _Exactly_." Katniss nodded, relaxing. "But it's nice to feel like that sometimes. Like Haymitch can make everything alright with a hug or… whatever."

"He is very good at making everything feel alright with a hug." Effie approved, placing the hairbrush down. She couldn't do much more for now without proper hair products. She quickly worked the still somewhat puffy hair into a loose braid.

"You're like that too." Katniss whispered tentatively. "Not with the hug thing but… You know."

Effie licked her lips and tried to keep the emotions from slipping in her voice but she wasn't very good at it. "I think I do, yes."

She didn't resist the urge to hug the girl from behind despite the surprise gasp and her sputtered protests that she was _too big to be cuddled_. For her supposed opposition to cuddles, Katniss didn't really tried to slip out of her arms.

When Prim let out a delighted cry of triumph in the kitchen – Effie supposed she had successfully located the marshmallows – she let the girl go and cleared her throat. "Let's find a movie, shall we?"

Prim padded into the room five minutes later with her stuffed cat under one arm and Buttercup under the other, closely followed by Haymitch who was carrying at tray full of mugs. He was wearing cotton pajamas pants and a frayed washed-out blue tee-shirt and she wondered how something so simple could look so appealing. Although, given the look he gave her, he found her pink shorts and camisole equally enticing even though it wasn't the raciest pajamas she had ever owned.

"_Nightmare Before Christmas?"_ he scoffed when he caught sight of the title on the screen. "Really?"

"It's a _classic_." Katniss grumbled. "Peeta loves it." She wrinkled her nose. "We should have brought him home with us…"

"We'll arrange a sleepover soon." Haymitch dismissed. "And I know it's a classic but I thought we were gonna watch something more… I don't know… _Halloween_? Prim was talking about _Coco_."

"I don't mind." Prim shrugged and helped herself to a candy bar from her basket.

"But it's more Christmas than Halloween." he kept complaining.

Effie curled up on one side of the couch, knowing from experience the girls would probably sprawl on the floor with cushions and blankets. "Halloween is over, Haymitch, it is time to prep for Christmas now. We might as well get in the spirit."

He stared at her, gaping a little, and then shook his head and put the tray down on the living-room table. "You're _crazy_, sweetheart."

"Don't you love it?" she teased with a grin and then did her best not to too visibly freeze because she hadn't meant to use the _l _word.

He froze for a second too but then he grabbed two of the mugs and sat down on the couch.

"Maybe I do." he muttered awkwardly, handing her one of the hot chocolate mugs.

Their fingers lingered a little too long when she took it and they shared a complicated look. She wasn't ready to say or hear more and she could tell he wasn't either but perhaps…

Perhaps that little seed was enough for now.

* * *

_So we're almost at the end of this story! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! We'll have a surprise (or is it) visit next week! Let me know your thoughts!_


	15. An Unconventional Ending

**Chapter 15: An Unconventional Ending**

* * *

Effie liked the yard a lot more since Haymitch had caved and mowed it. It had taken _a lot_ of effort to dig up the dead weeds and pile them up to burn but it now, at last, looked like a proper garden – or it _would_ once she would be done with it.

She was sitting on the old armchair that resided on the wrap-around porch, keeping an eye on the girls who were playing tag outside while jutting down a list of all the things she wanted to improve. Her top priority was painting the façade because it really _did_ look too shabby. Haymitch hadn't refused but he had said it would have to wait for spring.

The porch railing would need a new coat of varnish too, if not to be replaced in some places. She wanted to change the chairs on the porch and she also wanted the garden to look a little more like a _proper_ garden. With _flowers_. The backyard was mostly full what with the geese and Lady's pens but the front yard now…

Smiling without even realizing it at the sound of the girl's laughter, she started sketching a vague idea… Some flowerbeds around the porch, maybe a slide or a swing for the children… It was huge… They would have room for _a pool_. But a pool wouldn't suit the vibe of the house at all…

The wind picked up and she adjusted her scarf, automatically looking up to check Katniss and Prim were still appropriately covered… They had a tendency to shed their coats when they played but she didn't want them to catch a cold.

It was because she lifted her head that she caught the faint rumble in the distance.

She frowned, her eyes drifting toward the road on instinct…

Haymitch had taken the car to go grocery shopping but it hadn't been long enough that she was expecting him yet. It was possible that it was simply Chaff checking on them or coming to spend some time with the girls but he usually came on foot since it was only a ten minutes walk from his house…

She wasn't sure what made her stand up, abandoning her notepad on the floor, and walk to the railing. She gripped the half-rotten wood, dread turning her stomach in knots.

She wasn't even surprised when she spotted the nose of the long shiny black car slowly coming around the bend in the road.

"Girls!" she shouted. Was it the urgency in her voice? Prim and Katniss both froze and turned toward her. She forced herself to smile, to soften her face, to speak _calmly _despite her hammering heart even as she hurled down the steps that led up to the house and crouched next to them. She grabbed both of their arms but squeezed Katniss' a little harder. "I need you to go to Uncle Chaff's."

Katniss frowned and glanced at the car that was slowly turning off the driveway and directly onto the front yard toward them. "Why? Who's that?"

The windows of the car were tinted, it was too big and it would leave deep tire tracks in her newly weed-free yard.

"No one." Effie lied. "Katniss, I need you to get your sister to Chaff's, do you understand?"

"No." Prim protested, shaking her head and staring at the black car, that had come to a stop a few feet away, with open mistrust. "I want to stay with you."

"You never want us going anywhere alone anymore." Katniss reminded her with a scoff. "You say it's dangerous."

She hadn't liked the fact Katniss was allowed to roam around by herself and she had set rules in place, that was true, but she was also aware that Chaff's house was close enough that, realistically, nothing would happen to them on the way. Katniss knew the path, she had done it before, and she truly didn't want the girls around when her mother – because she was certain it _was_ her mother – would open the car door. The fact that she was taking her sweet time before doing so told Effie she was simply letting her stew in her dread, letting her anxiety set in nice and slow so she would be easier to take down.

"Right now, I need you to do as I say." she insisted, a little too harshly.

Prim's blue eyes started glistening and Effie immediately gathered her close, hugging her tight. She met Katniss' troubled gaze over her sister's shoulder and decided that honestly was the best policy with that girl.

"I suspect my mother is in that car." she said quietly. "You know she is not the nicest person."

"Then we stay with you and kick her out." Katniss shrugged. "I'm gonna get my bow."

For a second, she entertained the idea of letting an enraged Katniss at her mother with her bow and her arrows.

As tiny as she was, she had no doubt that a confrontation between Elindra and Katniss would end with the girl a victor. She was fierce like that.

"That is very nice of you, darling, but it is a grown-up matter." she refused and, when the girl opened her mouth to protest, she spoke over her. "I do not want her upsetting Prim, Katniss. Please, take your sister to Chaff's and stay there until I come get you."

The argument of Prim getting upset was all that was needed to sway Katniss but it was clear she wasn't liking it. "What if the witch kidnaps you?"

Prim let out a little gasp and clung to her neck harder. The crouching position was starting to hurt and Effie gently freed herself from her small arms.

"I am not so easily kidnapped, I promise you." She flashed them a blinding smile. "Now, run along, dear. I am sure Chaff has those sugary little cakes you like and I pretend not to know about."

Katniss forcefully grabbed her sister's hand, her eyes darting between Effie and the car. Prim was struggling against her grip, trying to grab Effie again.

"I will come get you in a little while." she promised again, curbing her voice into something reassuring.

"If you don't, I'm coming after you." Katniss swore right back.

Her smile softened into something a little more genuine. "I certainly hope so. Who else would rescue me?"

Katniss' eyebrows shot up. "Better me than Uncle Haymitch 'cause if you're not here when he comes back, he's gonna _flip_."

All in all, she was fairly certain her mother had timed her visit accordingly. It was too much of a coincidence that she would show up _exactly _when Haymitch was away for several hours.

And she had no doubt that Elindra had done her research. Confronting Haymitch directly would not be wise, not in the least because he hadn't stayed on the defensive but had placed calls and made subtle threats about her mother staying away, but attacking when Effie was without his protection… That was more Elindra's style.

"Go now." she ordered. She watched them run down the road, Katniss more or less dragging Prim behind, and then finally turned toward the car, squaring her shoulders as if preparing for battle.

She didn't bother going to the driver's side, knowing a random man in an uniform was probably sitting there – because god forbid Elindra Trinket drove herself anywhere. She went straight for the back of the car and, surely enough, the door opened when she neared it.

She had to jump back to avoid getting hit by it.

"If you are _quite done_ playing with your little _urchins_, get in the car." her mother ordered.

Effie had zero intention of stepping inside the car, too aware that her mother wouldn't be above slamming the door behind her once she was in and ordering her employee to drive away.

"We _do _have a driveway, you realize." she deadpanned. "You could have done the polite thing and parked there."

A flash on irritation passed on her mother's face. She had never liked it when Effie talked back. "As if I would tread in that _mud_."

There was no mud.

It was cold and the earth was dry.

The implied insult felt cheap.

"Why are you here, Mother?" she asked, in no mood to play that familiar game of veiled attacks.

Elindra pursed her lips in obvious displeasure. "It became clear to me you were not going to come back to reason by yourself so here I am. Now, let's put an end to all that _nonsense_, shall we? Get in the car. Your father arranged everything. It cost him a pretty penny but the scandal will be avoided. The wedding has been rescheduled…"

"I should have known." She snorted and then shook her head. She wondered how much her father had promised and if the benefits to the business would out balance the cost. "I am _not_ getting married, Mother, I am sorry to disappoint."

"You do not look very sorry but, then again, you were never the grateful sort." Elindra snapped. "Haven't you played house long enough yet? Would you rather keep cleaning after that oaf and his two bastards instead of…"

"Do _not…" _she hissed, taking a threatening step toward the car, hands bundled into fists. "Do _not_ call _my_ _daughters _names."

Pity and triumph glinted in her mother's blue eyes. "They are _not_ your daughters, Euphemia. And that man, whatever you think you see in him, is _beneath_ you. Resourceful, I will grant you that… Why, Plutarch gave me _quite_ the passionate speech about him… And that lawyer he hired? Tenacious little thing. But he is _beneath_ you all the same." Effie had known from the start Elindra would not care about the lawyer. The law did not apply to their social circles, there were always ways around it. It was only relevant when it could further their own agendas. "Interesting past, he has, your lover… Horrific too. Why, half his military file is censured. Do you even know whose bed you are slipping in at night? Do the people in town know what sort of killer they have in their midst?"

She clenched her jaw. "I _forbid _you from going after him, do you understand? And _so help me _if you so much as _look _at my girls…"

"_Your_ girls." Elindra scoffed. "How many times must I say it? They are _not_ yours. Are you delusional?"

"No more than _you_ if you think you are going to intimidate me into going back to the city with you to marry someone I really do _not_ care to see _ever_ again." she deadpanned.

For a second, her mother looked surprised that Effie had grown a backbone when she had always submitted to her orders.

"Euphemia." Elindra growled.

"Do you even know his ex-wife accused him of beating her?" she snapped.

"Fiddlesticks." her mother dismissed. "She felt cheated during the divorce and spread the worst lies." Blue eyes bore into hers. "Is that what sent you running? Ridiculous rumors?"

"How disappointingly unsurprising you would not even care." Effie mocked.

"Do you imagine any husband of your would dare raise his hand against you?" Elindra pursed her lips. "That oaf of yours might, mind you. He seems the type…"

Haymitch would never hurt a fly.

Well… He might hurt more than a fly if he felt the need to protect the children – or her for that matter – but if she knew one thing deep down, it was that Haymitch would never be violent with her. She had never been scared of it.

And this conversation was sterile.

"You should leave, Mother." she declared, feeling a strange sense of calm wash over her. "I am not going back with you and you are not accepting my choices so this discussion is rather pointless, wouldn't you say?"

Her mother's blue eyes studied her and then she pursed her lips tighter. "You will change your mind. You were not raised to be a slave. You might enjoy your little rolling in the mud but once the honeymoon phase is over, you will sing a different tune. You _will_ change your mind and you _will_ come crawling back and I might _not_ be so forgiving then."

She licked her lips and grabbed the car door. "I will take my chances."

She did not let herself hesitate before slamming it shut.

The car lingered only for a few seconds more before it turned around, narrowly avoiding hitting her on its way back to the drive.

Effie surveyed the tracks it had left in her yard with pursed lips. For someone who insisted on manners above all else, Elindra Trinket could be so _ill-bred_…

Feeling a little shaky, she let out a long breath and climbed the few steps that led up to the house. She found the phone in the kitchen and immediately dialed Chaff's number.

He answered at the first ring. _"Are you okay, love?"_

"Yes." she promised but her voice wasn't as steady as she would have liked. She sat down, her throat closing a little. Her eyes were burning with tears she refused to shed. "She is gone but… Could you… Could you keep the girls with you for a little while? I will be right over to fetch them. I just need…"

"_Got you." _Chaff said when her sentence trailed off without an end in sight. "_Take all the time you need."_

"Thank you." she whispered before placing the phone down.

She buried her face in her hands and swallowed back the tears, the sorrow and the bitter wasn't sure how long she remained like that, bowed over the kitchen table, but it was long enough that a headache was starting to develop behind her eyes.

She was about to stand up, shake it off and go get her girls – not matter what her mother had to say about it they _were_ hers – when she heard the engine of a car rushing down toward the house. Half-certain Elindra had come back for another round, she froze. She _so_ wasn't up for a second row with her mother…

The car door was slammed shut and the front door banged open a few seconds later and Effie finally relaxed because even her mother wouldn't be so rude as to come in uninvited, besides the footsteps were too heavy and too familiar to belong to Elindra.

She barely had time to get to her feet before Haymitch barged in the kitchen, looking slightly panicked.

The moment he spotted her, he tugged her into his arms and she went willingly, melting against his chest with a relief she wouldn't have been able to put into words.

"_Fuck_." he breathed out into her hair.

"Chaff called you." she surmised.

"Katniss." he muttered. "The moment they got to Chaff. I came back as quickly as I could."

She buried her face in his neck. "I am fine. I called Chaff as soon as she left, he should have called you…"

"He probably did. Didn't answer. Wasn't stopping that car for anything." he snorted. "Thought you'd need rescue… Should have known you'd rescue yourself."

"Well…" she chuckled. "There were no opportune car with a dashing stranger inside but I managed." He snorted again but tightened his embrace and she closed her eyes, breathing him in… "She wanted me to go back with her. They must have worked out some deal… She said the wedding was back on."

His arms locked so tight around her it was almost painful. "But you're not going."

It wasn't quite a question but it wasn't quite a statement either.

There was a hint of uncertainty there, as if he wasn't _entirely _sure.

"Of course, I am _not_!" she huffed, drawing back long enough to glare at him. His face was all relief and fondness and she didn't protest when he dropped a kiss on her forehead. She didn't protest either when he placed another one on her cheek and a third one on her lips.

The peck turned into something longer and, when he deepened it, she finally relaxed for the first time since she had glimpse her mother's car.

"You know…" he mumbled against her mouth. "If you weren't so commitment phobic…"

"I am _not_ commitment phobic." she hissed, punishing him for that comment by biting down on his bottom lip.

He let out a hiss of his own but it couldn't have been that painful because he kissed her back in earnest.

"Still…" he insisted in a gruff tone. "If I wasn't half-sure it would send up running out the door, I'd marry you and be done with your mother's nonsense."

That made her freeze.

She tried to picture it, marrying Haymitch. A beautiful dress – one that she would actually like – the girls for bridesmaids… A spring wedding in their garden.. She thought it was possible she could go through with it.

Even if the simple idea of a _wedding_ now made her want to run away and not look back…

"I ain't proposing." he said in a hurry.

She realized she had been standing there, unresponsive to his kisses, for a moment too long and she blinked, forcing herself to _focus_. "It sounded like you were."

"Nah." He shook his head, brushing the back of his hand against her cheek. "Give me _some_ credit, sweetheart, I know you better than that." He cupped her cheek and she leaned into his palm out of reflex. "But… You know… I've got a counter-proposal for you."

She frowned. "A counter proposal to your not-proposal?"

"Yeah." He smirked. "How about we live in sin for the rest of our lives?"

She couldn't help but let out a snort of her own. "Well, _that_ would _certainly_ infuriate Mother."

"Nice bonus." he admitted. "But… You know, I just can't…"

He stopped and let out a frustrated huff but she simply smiled, leaning in to steal a soft kiss.

"I know." she whispered against his lips.

He couldn't lose her. He didn't want to live without her.

She shared the sentiment wholeheartedly.

"Not quite the classic fairy tale ending." she mused, stealing another kiss. "But I suppose that does not mean we cannot live happily ever after…"

He shrugged, more amused than he wanted to let on. "As long as I never drive you to jump in someone else's car…"

She couldn't see that ever happening.

As crazy as he could drive her sometimes…

Eyes twinkling, she stepped back. "We should go get the children and tell them the good news."

"What?" He lifted an eyebrow. "That we're _not _getting married?"

"That we decided we were going to be happy and we are quite determined not to let anything change that." She winked at him. "No witch will rain on my parade, even my own Mother."

He shook his head at her antics but let her tug him toward the door…

Toward their very unconventional happy ending.

* * *

**THE END**

* * *

_And thus it ends! I promised there wouldn't be much angst and nobody believed me, which I think is very insulting XD How rude of all of you not to trust me. As if I am in the habit of drowning you in angst by sending hayffie in an arena, killing off random people or making the situation even worse than in canon. Truly, I do not understand the mistrust at all. :p _

_Jokes aside, I hope you enjoyed this last chapter and this little crack story. Let me know your thoughts!_

_For what's next (because I know you, greedy readers, you are going to ask), there will be a week of hiatus next week and then the week after that (May 22nd) I will publish the first part of a two shot. After that two shots, we will either move on to a angsty - very - cracky baby fic story (YES I KNOW I SWORE OFF THOSE BUT IT'S NOT MY FAULT IT STARTED AS A JOKE AND I WILL TELL YOU ALL ABOUT IT IN TIME) or to an angst amnesia story depending on which one I finish first. The baby fic is 3/4 finished though so it's leaning that way. _

_I realize neither option sounds appealing when you put it like that... Well... The baby fic is really really crack with a touch of angst because I cannot write crack and run with it for several chapters without injecting some angsty moments but really it is crack, absolute crack. And the amnesia story, I've done plenty, but this time there's a twist. If you follow me on tumblr you know what I'm talking about cause I detailed it there but... YEP. that's the plan. Hopefully. I'm likely not going back to work before September so i will be poor but at least it gives me time to write. _

_Anyway! Thoughts! Opinions! Feedback! I take everything!_


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